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Hanukkahbegins this weekend! In honor of the holiday, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about the Festival of Lights, from when it starts to how to celebrate.
What Is Hanukkah?
Hanukkahis the Jewish holiday known as the “Festival of Lights.” The holiday is observed over eight days and is celebrated with a nightly lighting of the menorah, as well as fried foods and prayer.
Our favorite pop culture explanation for the holiday comes from none other than theRugratsHanukkah special.
When Is Hanukkah 2022?
Hanukkah begins this year at sunset on Sunday, Dec. 18, and ends on Sunday, Dec. 25.
Why Is Hanukkah Eight Nights Long?
Or, if you’re Adam Sandler,“eightcrazynights.“Here’s why! When the Maccabees were able to gain control of the temple, they needed to cleanse it, rebuild its altar and light the menorah — but they only had one night’s worth of oil to light it with. Miraculously, the candles burned for eight nights!
What Does the Word “Hanukkah” Mean?
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The Hebrew word “Hanukkah” means dedication, and it’s used because the Maccabees rededicated the Second Temple after, under the rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 168 B.C., Jews were banned from practicing their religion, were massacred and their temple was desecrated.
No, You’re Not Spelling It Wrong.
There are actually 16 different ways to spell the name of the holiday,according toTIME.The most popular are Hanukkah and Chanukah, but the truth is that it’s very difficult to translate a word directly from Hebrew, so multiple spellings are accepted.
What Are Some Typical Hanukkah Traditions?
The most recognizable of the Hanukkah traditions is the nightly lighting of a special menorah called the hanukkiah, which has nine branches — eight for lighting and one shamash, or “helper” candle that lights the others. While people light their hanukkiahs, they generally recite a blessing.
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Another tradition that is both delicious and meaningful is the eating of fried foods. I know what you’re thinking: “I don’t need a holiday to have an excuse to eat fried food” — but this is different. On Hanukkah, the traditional foods like potato latkes and sufganiyot (which are a type of jelly doughnut) are fried in oil as a nod to the oil that miraculously lasted eight nights.
You’ve heard the song: “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel,” but do you know why it’s played?
The dreidel itself is symbolic, with four sides with the letters nun, gimmel, hey and shin from the Hebrew alphabet. Those letters stand for “nes gadol haya sham,” which can be translated to"a great miracle happened there.“Dreidel is played because it is said that, because Jewish people were outlawed from practicing their religion and studying Torah, they would use their dreidel to pretend that they were playing games.
Happy Hanukkah!
source: people.com
