Happy Hanukkah

Today is the first day of Hanukkah.  The celebration begins at sunset on the 20th and ends at sunset on the 28th..  It is also called the Festival of Lights.  Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of the single vessel of oil that burned for 8 days.  As a child I never understood the significance of this.  I believe it is because I never knew the story behind the Festival of Lights.

This is the history of Hanukkah. Around 200 B.C., Judea was under control of the Syrian King, Antiochus III, who allowed the Jews to continue to practice their religion.  His son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, was not as kind and outlawed the religion, ordering the Jews to worship his Greek gods.  The people revolted.  Epiphanes' soldiers massacred thousands of people and then defiled the city's holy Second Temple with sacrificing pigs and worshiping foreign gods. A large-scale rebellion led by a Jewish priest Mattathais and his five sons eventually led to the Jewish people retaking their land from Syrian-Greek soldiers.  It was 2 years after Matthathias' death that his son, Judah, successfully drove the Syrians out of Jerusalem.  Judah then called on his followers to cleanse the Second Temple, rebuild the altar and light it's menorah.  The menorah was the golden candelabrum with seven branches to represent knowledge and creation.  It was meant to be kept burning every night.

The Hanukkah Miracle

  The Jews who were taking part of the re-dedication of the Second Temple witnessed a miracle.  They only had enough untainted olive oil to keep the menorah's candles burning for a single day, but the flames continued to burn for eight nights. This gave them time to find a fresh supply.  This event inspired Jewish sages to proclaim a yearly eight-day festival.

The story of Hanukkah is not in the Torah because the events that inspired the holiday took place after it was written.  It is mentioned in the New Testament, that Jesus attends a "Feast of Dedication"

Traditional Symbolic Foods of Hanukkah

Latkes are symbolic of the cheesecakes served by Judith to the Syrian General before she cut off his head.

Loukoumades are deep-fried puffs dipped in honey to represent the cakes the fighters ate as they hurried off to battle.

Many of the foods are fried as a reminder of the miraculous oil. Now that is a holiday tradition my husband would love.

There are other interpretations to this story, but this is my favorite.  I am not of Jewish faith or decent but that does not stop me from learning about their beliefs.  To better understand a person you must understand their beliefs.

No matter the holiday your celebrate this season, I hope it is filled with family, love and friendship.