Hannukkah: The Festival of Lights – The Story and The Menorah

(My memorah. Pic taken last night)

Today is the second day of the Jewish holiday of Chanukkah (Hannnukkah, Hanuka)

Seeing as I was raised Jewish, even though I am now Pagan, I still like to teach my children the traditions I was taught as both a Jew and a Christian growing up.

Each day until Chanukkah ends, I will teach you, my fans, a little about this holy Jewish holiday in the hopes you, like my children, will learn how while these holidays are different from your own, they are still beautiful and should be respected.

Since I missed yesterday due to it being Thanksgiving, I’ll do a double topic >^.^<

Topic 1: The Story of Chanukah

Chanukah is always on the 25th day of the Hebrew Calendar in the month of Kislev, which is why unlike other religions’ holidays, the Jewish ones bounce around and fall on different days or sometimes even months each year. The Jews never adopted the Roman Calendar that we use now they still use their own, older calendar for their holidays. (for instance according to the Jewish calendar, the year is 5774 which began on sunset on September 24, 2013) (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_calendar)

The story of Chanukah begins during Alexander the Great’s reign. He had conquered a good portion by this time including Syria, Egypt, and Palestine, and while he allowed most of his conquered lands to continue to practice their holidays and traditions. Due to this seemingly benevolent rule, many Jewish people adopted to the Greek ways including learning the language, adopting the dress and so on.

Over one hundred years later, Antiochus IV succeeded Alexander and ruled over the conquered lands. He was against how Alexander had given his subjects free reign over their religions and traditions and began to oppress them.

When Antiochus got to the Jews, he began to not only slaughter them, but he desecrated their holy temples (their places of worship to God) and sacrificed pigs on their alters. The Jews then had their Torah (Their Holy bible) taken away and burned. They were told they could no longer be Jews. They were forced to be Greek.

A man stepped forward. His name was Judah Maccabee. He, along with his father and brothers, rallied a great army to go against the Greeks and the Pharisees, and they won. After the battle had been won and the Antiochus realized he could never make the Jews submit to him, the Jews began to search the ruins of their beloved temple for some oil that hadn’t been desecrated by the Greeks to light the Menorah in the temple.

They found just enough oil to last for a single night, but a miracle found the Jews and instead of burning for one night, the oil burned for eight days straight, which ironically is the length of time needed to make a fresh batch of oil for one day. The Jews took this to be a sign from God in favor of what they had done. And so Chanukah is now celebrated on the day the oil was found every year in remembrance of God’s great miracle. (Jews don’t glorify war which is why the holiday isn’t in remembrance of their victory)

Now that you know the story. We’ll move on today’s post >^.^<

Topic 2: The Menorah

The Menorah is an eight branched candelabra with a center candle holder. The center candle is called the Shamash (The servant candle) and it is used to light all the others.

The candles on a menorah are placed from right to left, but light from left to right. Each night of Chanukah a new candle is added to the left of the one from the previous day (These days you have to keep adding new candles unless you have an electric menorah, then you just need to twist the bulbs in to light them lol).

There are three prayers said during this holiday.  The first is only said on the first night.

Shehecheyanu (Spoken only on the first night)

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha’olam

shehecheyanu v’kiyimanu v’higi’anu laz’man hazeh. (Amein)

which means

Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season (Amen)

Blessing for Chanukkah

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha’olam

she’asah nisim la’avoteinu bayamim haheim baziman hazeh. (Amein)

which means

Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

Who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time

Blessing over Candles (said every night as the candles are lit)

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha’olam

she’asah nisim la’avoteinu bayamim haheim baziman hazeh. (Amein)

which means

Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us

to light the lights of Chanukkah. (Amen)

I hope you enjoyed this little history lesson. Tomorrow we will talk about the Dreidel!