What Is Chanukah?
If you are not Jewish, chances are you may not be familiar with the holiday of Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights, and usually celebrated some time during the month of December. According to a recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, less than 2 percent of all Americans said they were Jewish. More than 78 percent said they were Christian, with more than 51 percent saying they were affiliated with the Protestant Church. About 24 percent of the adults questioned in the survey said they were Catholic. Do you know the history behind the celebration of Chanukah?
Miracle No. 1
Chanukah is a celebration of a pair of miracles in history for the Jewish people. In the 2nd century, a Jewish army was badly outnumbered by a Greek army in the Holy Land known as the Maccabees. The battle started because the Maccabees wanted the Jewish people to live a Greek lifestyle. Amazingly, the Jewish army won a battle for control of the Holy Temple.
Miracle No. 2
Fresh from its amazing victory over the seemingly invincible Maccabees, the Jewish army discovered that the Holy Temple had been badly damaged. A seven-branched candelabra known as a Menorah was lit at all times for services in the temple. However, after the battle with the Maccabees, there was only a small amount of olive oil left for the Menorah. The Jews sent out for more oil, but it would take at least a week to arrive, and there was only enough olive oil remaining to last a day. However, the oil burned for eight days and nights. The combination of these two miracles led to the celebration of Chanukah over the course of eight days and nights.
Modern celebration of Chanukah
What does the word Chanukah mean? It means “dedication” and immediately after the Jewish army defeated the Maccabees, they rededicated the Holy Temple. The holiday is held every year on the 25th day of Kislev. Because the Jewish calendar is based on the cycle of the moon, the date of Chanukah varies each year between Nov. 28 and Dec. 26. In modern times, Chanukah involves lighting candles on the nine-branched menorah. Each day, the central candle, called the shamash, us used to light one of the eight branches. Over the years, it has become customary to give money or gifts to children, to eat dairy foods during the holiday and to also give an increasing amount to charity each day of the eight days of Chanukah.