Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration that lasts for eight days and nights, starting on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. In Hebrew, the word "Hanukkah" means "dedication."

The holiday commemorates the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jews' 165 B.C.E. victory over the Hellenist Syrians. Antiochus, the Greek King of Syria, outlawed Jewish rituals and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. In 168 B.C.E. the Jews' holy Temple was seized and dedicated to the worship Zeus. Some Jews were afraid of the Greek soldiers and obeyed them, but most were angry and decided to fight back.

The fighting began in Modiin, a village not far from Jerusalem. A Greek officer and soldiers gathered the villagers, asking them to bow to an idol and eat the flesh of a pig. These were activities forbidden to the Jews. The officer asked Mattathias, a Jewish High Priest, to take part in the ceremony. He refused, and another villager offered to do it instead. Mattathias became very upset, took out his sword and killed the man, then killed the officer. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked and killed the soldiers. Mattathias' family hid in the nearby mountains, where many other Jews who wanted to fight the Greeks joined them.

They attacked the Greek soldiers whenever it was possible. About a year after the rebellion started, Mattathias died. Before his death, he put his brave son Judah Maccabee in charge of the growing army. After three years of fighting, the Jews defeated the Greek army, even though they had few men and weapons. Judah Maccabee and his soldiers went to the holy Temple, and saw that many things were missing or broken, including the golden menorah. They cleaned and repaired the Temple.

When they finished, they decided to have a big dedication ceremony. For the celebration, the Maccabees wanted to light the menorah. They looked everywhere for oil, and found a small flask that had only enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil did not last for one day, but for eight days. This gave them enough time to collect more oil to keep the menorah lit.

Today Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night. By doing this they commemorate the eight-day miracle.

On the first night of Hanukkah, one light is lit. On each successive night a light is added until the eighth night, when all the lights are lit. The addition of light recalls the greatness and growth of the miracle.

Candles are placed in the menorah from right to left, but lit from left to right. The highest candle, known as the Shamash or "servant", is used to light the other candles. Blessings are said each night before the lights are kindled. In ancient times, olive oil was used in Hanukkah menorahs. Over time, colorful candles were used in its place. In Israel, the Hanukkah menorah is called the Hanukiyah. Menorahs come in all shapes and sizes. The only requirement is that the flames are separated enough so that they will not look too big and resemble a pagan bonfire. Ancient menorahs were made of clay. They consisted of small, pearl shaped vessels, each with its own wick, which were arranged side-by-side.