Posted on 12/21/2005 5:31:37 PM PST by SJackson
On the evening of December 25, when most people are surrounded by a sea of torn wrapping paper and ready to burst from eating, my holiday will just be starting, as my family and Jewish families in the neighborhood and around the world will be lighting the first Hanukkah candle.
Each night, for eight nights, we add a candle, placing them in the menorah, or candle holder, from right to left. A ninth candle is used to light the others.
We will say two blessings over the Hanukkah candles, one thanking God for commanding us to light the Hanukkah candles, the second praising God for creating miracles. On the first night of Hanukkah, we add one prayer, Shehehiyanu, thanking God for keeping us alive to see this day. This lovely prayer is appropriate whenever something wonderful happens, from seeing an old friend to the birth of a child.
According to our tradition, after the death of Alexander the Great, the Syrian-Greek ruler Antiochus ruled over Jerusalem. He demanded that Jews give up their religion, change their names to Greek, and worship idols. These rulings were enforced with massacres and other brutality. One defiant family, the Maccabees, refused to take on Greek ways and escaped to the mountains, where they waged a guerilla war against the Syrian army. Physically outnumbered but spiritually devoted to their cause, they defeated a superior army in 165 B.C.E.
When the dust settled, the Maccabees and their supporters set out to clear the temple in Jerusalem. They found their place of worship in shambles, filled with idols and remnants of animal sacrifices. While they repaired the damage, they found just enough oil to light a lamp for one night, but—here is the miracle—the lamp burned for eight nights. Hanukkah means dedication, and the Maccabees rededicated the temple after infidels tried to defile it.
The miracle of the long-lasting oil—not the military success (Jews do not glorify war)—is why we light one candle for each night for eight nights. It is the custom to light the candles after nightfall in a front window to remind the whole neighborhood of the miracle of Hanukkah.
Miracles from 2,000 years ago are certainly cause for celebration, but Hanukkah is very much a contemporary holiday, from the point of view of resisting the draws of popular culture and assimilation. When an armed soldier kills your neighbor for reading religious books, how many of us would have the will to defy orders as the Maccabees did? Today, in Iraq, Africa, and Eastern Europe, people still live in fear of being killed or persecuted for their religion, their language, or their cultural heritage.
Even if our physical safety is not under threat, popular culture is insidious. Parents lament how much time children spend watching TV, families are too busy to have dinner together, movies and video games are too violent. It is difficult to have the will to say “no” to the movies, “no” to the explicit lyrics, “no” to the violent games. It is uncomfortable to reach out of our comfortable cocoon to help others who might need our support or assistance.
However we accept American culture, it is important for people of all ethnicities to keep vestiges of their own culture, traditional language, and religion. Adapting new customs, without losing the old ones, is our challenge.
Because the Jewish calendar follows the lunar cycles, Hanukkah moves around against the Western calendar every year, showing up anytime from late November to December, and sometimes as late as December 25, as this year.
Whereas Christmas marks a miraculous birth and the religious high point of the Christian calendar, Hanukkah would be relatively minor holiday, except for a lucky quirk of the calendar. It is a custom to give children money, called gelt, but because of its proximity to the Christmas holiday retail bacchanal, Hanukkah has become a major gift-giving occasion for children. (Adults usually do not exchange Hanukkah gifts.)
Many Jewish families give the children one gift each night—sometimes just a small gift each night, sometimes a mix of both small and quite substantial gifts. Jewish parents—and surely Christian parents, too—want to move away from the gifts and closer to the holiday’s real meaning about appreciating ancient miracles and recognizing those that are still with us today.
Some families try to get away from gifts on at least some of Hanukkah’s eight nights. We might have a games night, or an ice cream night, or a family movie night. We might do a “reverse gift;” we buy new toys, find some old ones to recycle, and donate them to a toy drive. Or, we donate the $10 that could have gone to child’s gift to a charity of the child’s choosing.
Other Hanukkah traditions include eating yummy oily foods, too, like fried potato latkes and jelly-filled doughnuts called sufganiyot. Recently, oil menorahs have become popular, too, with floating wicks replacing the candles. Children play a low-tech gambling game with a spinning top called dreidel, because religious men would conceal their secret Torah study sessions with a gambling game involving a top. Children usually gamble for candy or nuts. Hanukkah parties for family or friends always are popular, too.
So, until New Year’s Day, I’ll be lighting my candles, adding one for each night, and celebrating the miracle of Hanukkah and all God’s miracles.
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A misleading title, and really nothing new here, but I thought some people might find it interesting.
Never thought of doing that? Wonder if I can call Kwanzaa "Black Winter Solstice?"
No?
I'll shut up now...
I have never heard Hannakah called Jewish Christmas. Nor have I ever said that to my children.
I would like to understand why candles are used instead of oil lamps. Since the miracle involved oil and an oil lamp, I mean. I'd think that eight little oil lamps would be a neat tradition (though I admit not as graceful as a menorah).
Thank you so much for posting this.
Well, candles are easier. Oil is commonly used, and considered preferable by many people. You'd have no problem finding an oil Menorah, and oil can be used interchangeably in some candle cups.
I've seen it said often enough in both private circles and out in public.
Funny story, I was at a bar, and a guy was a few feet from me, as he was leaving the bartender wished him a merry christmas, this guy said thanks, but that he was a buddhist.
The bartender paused, then said "happy buddhist christmas".
LOL, it cracked me up.
LOL! That brings thoughts of unusual looking snowmen.
Kindly explain B.C.E. and the difference between it and B. C.
Not that I ever would call Hannukah, "the Jewish Christmas," but the two are more related than people think:
On the last day of Hannukah, the Jewish people rededicated the second temple, which was the dwelling place for the Spirit of God. Thus, it could be said that on that day, the Spirit of God dwelt once more among men. That day was the 25th of the Jewish month that most closely corresponds to December.
The Catholic belief is that Jesus was literally the new Temple, that the Eucharist bears within it the Spirit of God, and that the Holy Mass is none other than literally a re-creation of the Temple; this is partly why traditionalists are perturbed by modern masses which fail to instill the awe of the Temple of God.
Contrary to recycled nonsense about the date of Christmas being related to Festivus, it's date is actually related to the historical date of the first Easter, March 25. Ancient Christians and Jews (at least Hellenic Jews) believed that great prophets usually died on the date they were conceived. Thus, the Catholic Church celebrates the conception of Christ on March 25... and presumes his birth to be nine months later, December 25, the date of the Feast of the Dedication.
Before Common Era. It has an E on the end.
Not that I ever would call Hannukah, "the Jewish Christmas," but the two are more related than people think:
On the last day of Hannukah, the Jewish people rededicated the second temple, which was the dwelling place for the Spirit of God. Thus, it could be said that on that day, the Spirit of God dwelt once more among men. That day was the 25th of the Jewish month that most closely corresponds to December.
The Catholic belief is that Jesus was literally the new Temple, that the Eucharist bears within it the Spirit of God, and that the Holy Mass is none other than literally a re-creation of the Temple; this is partly why traditionalists are perturbed by modern masses which fail to instill the awe of the Temple of God.
Contrary to recycled nonsense about the date of Christmas being related to Festivus, it's date is actually related to the historical date of the first Easter, March 25. Ancient Christians and Jews (at least Hellenic Jews) believed that great prophets usually died on the date they were conceived. Thus, the Catholic Church celebrates the conception of Christ on March 25... and presumes his birth to be nine months later, December 25, the date of the Feast of the Dedication.
The name "Christmas," then means a mass (or, "sanctification") by means of Christ (or, the Messiah): The purification of the Temple.
Sorry for the double post... It looks like I somehow posted before I was done writing...
A device designed to delete Christ from a reference to the Christian calender.
That's when new model Cadillacs come out.
(An old, old joke.)
By the way, for all our Jewish Freepers on here tonight...
Happy Hanukkah!
Incidentally, it is not exactly a secret that ancient Christians celebrated Hanukkah as well. In fact, one of the earliest Christian symbols contains a Star of David with a menorah attached to the top point and the familiar fish attached to the bottom point.
I have a version of it in "the office", but not in digital form. Perhaps someone else has one available to put up on here.
1. Christmas is one day, same day every year: December 25. Jews also love December 25th. It's another paid day off work. We go to movies and out for Chinese food and Israeli dancing. Hanukkah is 8 days. It starts the evening of the 24th of Kislev, whenever that falls. No one is ever sure. Jews never know until a non-Jewish friend asks when Hanukkah starts, forcing us to consult a calendar so we don't look like idiots. We all have the same calendar, provided free with a donation to either the World Jewish Congress, the kosher butcher or the local Sinai Memorial Chapel (especially in Florida) or other Jewish funeral home.
2. Christmas is a major holiday. Hanukkah is a minor holiday with the same theme as most Jewish holidays. They tried to kill us, we survived, let's eat.
3. Christmas is a time of great gift-giving pressure. People expect special gifts. Jews are relieved of that burden. No one expects a diamond ring on Hanukkah.
4. Christmas brings enormous electric bills. Candles are used for Hanukkah. Not only are we spared enormous electric bills, but we get to feel good about not contributing to the energy crisis.
5. Christmas carols are beautiful. Silent Night, Come O Ye Faithful.... Hanukkah songs are about dreidels made from clay or having a party and dancing the horah. Of course, we are secretly pleased that many of the beautiful carols were composed and written by our tribal brethren. And don't Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond sing them beautifully?
6. People have fun baking Christmas cookies. People burn their eyes and cut their hands grating potatoes and onions for latkes on Hanukkah. Another reminder of our suffering through the ages.
7. The players in the Christmas story have easy to pronounce names such as Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. The players in the Hanukkah story are Antiochus, Judah Maccabee, and Matta whatever. No one can spell it or pronounce it. On the plus side, we can tell our friends anything and they believe we are wonderfully versed in our history.
8. In recent years, Christmas has become more and more commercialized. The same holds true for Hanukkah, even though it is a minor holiday. It makes sense. How could we market a major holiday such as Yom Kippur? Forget about celebrating. Think observing. Come to synagogue, starve yourself for 27 hours, become one with your dehydrated soul, beat your chest, confess your sins, a guaranteed good time for you and your family. Tickets a mere $200 per person.
Better stick with Hanukkah!
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So please don't call Hanukah Chanukah Chanukka Hanukkah Christmas!
Mark
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