Happy Hanukkah!

[lookingglass]

Originally Posted by Anne

I think you're confusing Passover and Hannuka there

Passover is when you have a mega feast (well, some other holidays have that too, but not Hannuka actually), you ask that question in a special song and you set an empty chair for the Prophet Elijah.

Hannuka is when you light candles in the Menorah. I can share how it's celebrated here in Israel, but I do believe Jewish Americans have slightly different customs.

Here, we just gather around in the evening (it's still work days, no Sabbatical - but no school for the kids at least some of the days). We light one candle in the Menorah the first day, two candles the second day and so on, until you light all eight candles on the 8th day. You say a special prayer and there's lots of Hannuka songs to be sung around the candles. Traditionally, you eat big round Hannuka donuts and latkes which here are usually made of potatoes. Fried and oily is the general theme, in memory of the oil that was found and could light the Temple for 8 days. Fortunately, my kids like neither dishes, so we are all spared the extra calories

Oh, it's also traditional to play with dreidels during this holiday. Some pretty cool ones from China in the market, lots of lights and music. Fortunately, they tend to break real quick

In Israel, we don't give gifts on Hannuka. I think that's an American tradition, probably borrowed from Christmas. There is a tradition of giving kids a little bit of money though, and some parents replace that with a special gift.

ETA - I'll make a Hannuka post on my blog, hopefully tomorrow, with some pics from home and from the kids' school celebrations.

Anne, any celebration that involves doughnuts is an amazing thing. If your kids aren't going to eat them you can ship them over to Ohio.

 

[addiebee]

Anne did a great job with explanations. I'd like to add my two cents worth.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Chanukkah (also spelled Chanukah or Hanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday beginning on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may fall anytime from late November to late December. It celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple at the time of the Maccabee rebellion( Over a Greco-Syrian ruler.) The Temple was purified and the wicks of the menorah miraculously burned for eight days. (That menorah was actually an eternal light that is never supposed to go out.)

The festival is observed by the kindling of lights on each night of the holiday in commemoration: one on the first night, two on the second, and so on.

I can only speak to our family tradition. When I was little, we would have a BIG party and lots of gifts and money were exchanged. We would light candles, say the prayers, sing songs, eat the traditional latkes (potato pancakes) plus a whole lotta other good stuff, play the dreidel game, etc.

We still get together and celebrate only it's much more low key.

The point of eating oily, fried stuff is because the oil represents the miracle of Chanukah - the light that burned for 8 days had only enough sacred oil in it for one. That eight days was how long it took to go out and make more sacred, holy oil.

The donuts Anne referred to are an Israeli tradition, I believe. I think they are filled with jelly, right? And my people came from eastern Europe, where potatoes were plentiful - so latkes were front and center.

I hope I didn't bore anyone with this. My non-Jewish friends ask questions about our holidays all the time and I feel it's important to explain them.

And MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of my new Christian friends on this site.

Regards,

Adrien

 

[katz4life]