Hanukkah, a Jewish Festival of Lights, is celebrated every year on the 25th day of Kislev, a Jewish month of the Hebrew calendar. This calendar doesn’t follow the Gregorian calendar and is based on the lunar cycle which is calculated by observing the appearance of the crescent moon.
Hanukkah or Chanukah is celebrated throughout the world by the Jewish population for the 8 days of Kislev month. It is considered a minor festival as compared to the other festivals like Passover. According to the Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated in the month of November or December.
This article deals with the brief history as to why this festival is celebrated and also suggests some of the places around the globe where one can celebrate the Hanukkah with similar enthusiasm as in Jerusalem.
Meaning and History
Hanukkah, meaning dedication, celebrates the purification and rededication of the second temple as Jew’s holy place. To understand this, let’s get familiarized with the gist of the story of Hanukkah.
The story goes back to 165 BCE! The Seleucid emperor of that time, Antiochus IV along with his Greco-Syrian troops desecrated the temple and abolished the religion altogether. The Jewish priest of that temple along with his sons rebelled in return against the Syrian King.
There are two stories as to why this festival is celebrated. First one says, after Maccabees (priest son) and his fellow soldiers reclaimed Jerusalem and the second temple, they lit the Ner Tamid with oil sufficient for only 1 night. To their surprise, the lamp kept burning till 8 days, giving them enough time for procurement of the holy oil and thus, Hanukkah is celebrated to remember the struggle of reclaiming the temple and the miracle of oil.
The other story tells us that Maccabees and his soldiers took 8 days to reclaim the lost territory of Jerusalem and the temple. Thus, Hanukkah is celebrated to rededicate every Jew to that struggle and political and religious freedom they obtained after 8 days of fighting.
How is It Celebrated?
In 2023, Hanukkah was celebrated from December 7 to 15. This year’s Hanukkah celebration will take place from December 25 to January 2, 2025. It is considered as a true family event with families doing Hanukkah decorations. Houses are decorated with menorahs, dreidels, and small blue and white accessories. Whole family celebrates the festival for 8 nights in a row filled with fun games, delicious food, religious ceremonies and laughter.
On the first night of Hanukkah, shamash or the middle candle is lit. This candle is used to light the other candles. One more candle is added to the menorah and shamash is used to light it up. After the lighting of the candles, Hanukkah blessings are recited before and traditional songs are sung afterwards by everyone on every night.
Next night, after proper disposal of the burnt wick, two candles are added to the menorah and this process goes on till the 8th night of the festival. The candles are lit from left to right and the shamash sits higher than the rest of the candles. This festival also involves feasting on fried foods and playing Dreidel as per the Hanukkah traditions.
To dive into more details regarding this festival, read our Celebrating Hanukkah: A Festival of Lights blog. To know about the best places to celebrate Hanukkah around the world, keep reading this blog.
Global Celebration of the Light Festival
Light up the world, with Hanukkah candles at some of the best places in the world to celebrate Hanukkah.
1. New York, USA
New York holds the largest Candelabra in the world. Celebrate the light festival with a giant lighting ceremony in the downtown with people from all over the world.
2. Rome, Italy
Celebrate the light festival in the hub of Catholics. Be a part of the crowd lighting the huge menorah at Piazza Barberini in Rome. Enjoy dancing, feasting and watching the marches in Rome’s Jewish Ghetto.
3. Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is known to celebrate the festival throughout the 8 days of the Jewish calendar. Quarter 6 and Quarter 7 are famous for their celebration. They rent out an entire ice rink, where everyone sings the traditional Hanukkah songs, skate and light up the menorah. One can always find flash mobs, film screenings etc during the celebration.
4. Berlin, Germany
If you are in Germany and want to attend the lighting of menorah, travel to Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Hanukkah celebration in Berlin signifies 2 things; one is the Hanukkah festival and the other was the drastic changes which occurred during Nazi ruling.
5. London, UK
London’s Trafalgar Square outshines the surroundings with its huge menorah. The ceremony of lighting the memory is followed by the music and dancing. Hanukkah lights are lit for all 8 days of the festival.
Why Should You Attend the Hanukkah?
Due to the close proximity of its celebration with Christmas, people have started giving importance to Hanukkah. Although the ancient jewish celebration did not involve exchange of gifts, in the contemporary world, Hanukkah greetings are often accompanied with Hanukkah gifts.
If you want to explore more about the Jewish culture, traditions and festivals, Hanukkah can be the best festival to start with. The first hand experience of celebrating a festival can never be replaced by reading about it in books and online.
Conclusion
Still thinking about those happy Hanukkah wishes? If you wish to explore more about this festival, grab your backpacks and head to the places celebrating it in December 2023. You don’t need to worry about your stay!
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FAQs
Q: Which letters are written on Dreidel?
A: Four letters are written or engraved on the four sides of Dreidel which are Nun, Gimel, Hey or Chai, and Shin, short for “Nes Gadol Hayah Sham”, which are translated as “a great miracle happened there”.
Q: Do Jews fast during Hanukkah?
A: Fasting or Lamenting is forbidden during the 8 days of Hanukkah.
Q: How are candle wicks disposed of after they are burnt out?
A: All the burnt wicks are collected in a bag and saved to be burnt with chametz or the leftover oil and wicks are burned after the conclusion of the festival.
Q: What are the traditional fried foods consumed during the festival?
A: Latkes and Sofganiyot are the two traditional fried foods for Hanukkah. Now people have started making new dishes and consuming them during the festival.
