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| An Artist's Rendering of the Second Jewish Temple |
The year was 164 B.C. The Jewish people were living under oppression since Alexander the Great had conquered Syria, Egypt, & Palestine. The Festival of Lights, known as Hanukkah (or Chanukah), is an eight day festival that honors the victory of the Maccabees, a group of Jewish fighters, over Antiochus IV (a successor of Alexander), who forbade Jewish religious practice. The temple in Jerusalem was rededicated during this time as it had been desecrated by the Greeks.
When the temple in Jerusalem was restored, only a trivial amount of oil was salvaged, and the lamp in the temple (which by Jewish law must always be lit) was only expected to burn for a day. As you know, the candle burned strongly for 8 days, and Jews have celebrated this miracle ever since. Hanukkah is most notably symbolized by a menorah, which holds nine candles. Eight candles represent the eight days that the lamp burnt in the temple with the ninth candle to help light the other candles.
This year Hanukkah started on December 8 and will be celebrated until December 16, 2012. On the Hebrew Calender the dates are 25 Kislev to 2 Tevet in the year 5773. (Obviously, they don't think the world's ending in a couple weeks.)
There are many other traditions celebrated during Hanukkah. Food is a central part of the celebration (isn't it always?) as well as a game with a wooden top called a dreidel. Most recently, gift giving has also become a part of Hanukkah.
Do you or any of your friends celebrate Hanukkah? Have you ever tried any delicious Jewish recipes?
Let us know in the comments!
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