Hanukkah

Hanukkah perpetuate the overcoming of the ancient Israelites over the Greeks in a serial of combat taking place around the year 165 BC. The combat were about liberty, the right to exercise religion and follow the Jewish faith.

Hanukkah, also familiar as the "Festival of Lights," and festival of maccabees one of Judaism's most famous holidays, yet it does not carry important religious significance.

Hanukkah begin on the 25th day of the Jewish calendar month of Kislev and continue for eight days. In 2008 Hanukkah starting at sunset on December 21. With greeting, games, and festive foods and drinks.
most traditional Hanukkah foods are fried in oil, in token of the oil that burned in the temple. In Israel, the preferred Hanukkah food is sufganiya, like a jelly donut fried in oil.

The illumination of the menorah, familiar in Hebrew as the hanukiya, is the most significant Hanukkah tradition. A menorah is a candlestick with nine branches. mostly eight candles - one for every day of Hanukka - the candles are of the same level, with a taller one in the middle, the shamash ,that is used to light the others. every evening of Hanukkah, another candle is lit, with a particular blessing.

in Israel celebrating Hanukkah is especial festive. to celebrate the holiday in Israel is to celebrate it where the event of the Maccabees occur. menorahs are publicly present and parties abound.

There are plenty ways to celebrate the holiday in Israe. Visit Temple Mount in Jerusalem prior to the first night of holiday to see the place where the Maccabees regain and rededicated the Temple. It's a mighty sensation to see where the miracles of Hanukkah in the original took place.
The Hanukkah Story

Nearly 2,200 years ago, the Greek-Syrian ruler Antiochus IV tried to force Greek culture upon peoples in his territory. Jews in Judea - now Israel- were forbidden their most important religious practices as well as study of the Torah. Although vastly outnumbered, religious Jews in the region took up arms to protect their community and their religion. Led by Mattathias the Hasmonean, and later his son Judah the Maccabee, the rebel armies became known as the Maccabees.

After three years of fighting, in the year 3597, or about 165 B.C.E., the Maccabees victoriously reclaimed the temple on Jerusalem's Mount Moriah. Next they prepared the temple for rededication -- in Hebrew, Hanukkah means "dedication." In the temple they found only enough purified oil to kindle the temple light for a single day. But miraculously, the light continued to burn for eight days.
The Hanukkah Story

Nearly 2,200 years ago, the Greek-Syrian ruler Antiochus IV tried to force Greek culture upon Jews in Israel- were forbidden their most important religious practices as well as study of the Torah. Although vastly outnumbered, religious Jews in the region took up arms to protect their community and their religion. Led by Mattathias the Hasmonean, and later his son Judah the Maccabee, the rebel armies became known as the Maccabees.
After three years of fighting, in the year 3597, or about 165 B.C.E., the Maccabees victoriously reclaimed the temple on Jerusalem's Mount Moriah. Next they prepared the temple for rededication -- in Hebrew, Hanukkah means "dedication." In the temple they found only enough purified oil to kindle the temple light for a single day. But miraculously, the light continued to burn for eight days.

The Menorah

The lighting of the menorah, known in Hebrew as the hanukiya, is the most important Hanukkah tradition. A menorah is a candlestand with nine branches. Usually eight candles - one for each day of Hanukka - are of the same height, with a taller one in the middle, the shamash ("servant"), which is used to light the others. Each evening of Hanukkah, one more candle is lit, with a special blessing.
The menorah symbolizes the burning light in the temple, as well as marking the eight days of the Hanukkah festival. Some say it also celebrates the light of freedom won by the Maccabees for the Jewish people.

The Dreidel

Long a favorite Hanukkah toy, the dreidel once had a serious purpose. When the Syrians forbid study of the Torah, Jews who studied in secret kept spinning tops "sivivons, or dreidels"on hand. This way, if they were found studying, they could quickly pretend that they had only been playing.
Outside of Israel, a dreidel has the Hebrew letters "nun," "gimel," "hay," and "shin" on its four sides. These letters stand for "Nes gadol haya sham," which means, "A great miracle happened there," referring to Israel. An Israeli dreidel has the letter "pay" rather than "shin." This stands for "poh," meaning "here"a great miracle happened here."

The Hebrew letters also represent Yiddish words that tell how to play the dreidel game. Each player starts with the same amount of candies, chocolate coins (gelt), or other tokens, and puts one in a pot. Players take turns spinning the dreidel, waiting to see which letter lands face up. Nun is for "nisht," do nothing. Gimel is for "gants," take the whole pot. Hay is for "halb," take half. Shin is for "shtel," add to the pot. The game ends when a single player wins all the tokens.

Hanukkah Foods

Many traditional Hanukkah foods are cooked in oil, in remembrance of the oil that burned in the temple. In the United States, the most widespread Hanukkah food is latkes, or potato pancakes, a custom that may have developed in Eastern Europe. In Israel, the favorite Hanukkah food is sufganiya, a kind of jelly donut cooked in oil. Israelis eat sufganiyot for more than a month before the start of Hanukkah.
Eating dairy products, especially cheese, is another Hanukkah tradition. This is done in memory of the Jewish heroine Judith, who according to legend saved her village from Syrian attackers. Judith fed wine and cheese to the Syrian general Holofernes until he became so drunk that he fell to the ground. She then seized his sword and cut off his head, which she brought back to her village in a basket. The next morning, Syrian troops found the headless body of their leader and fled in terror.

Hanukkah an all-time favorite Jewish holiday, has interesting historical value dealing with issues relevant to Israeli culture and sense of identity. Hanukkah commemorates the victory of the ancient Israelites over the Greeks in a series of battles taking place around the year 165 BC. The battles were not about territory nor resources, but dealt with freedom; the right to practice religion and follow the Jewish faith.

Hanukkah is an eight-day festival that begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev (usually in December, around Christmas time), celebrated in memory of the Maccabees' victory over the Greeks and the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE.
According to the Jewish sages, the holiday's most important - and only - religious ordinance is the lighting of eight candles in a candelabrum called a menorah hanukkah, also knows as the Festival of Lights and Festival of Maccabees, is one of Judaism's most renowned holidays, but it does not carry great religious significance.

The holiday is usually celebrated around winter solstice time - December 22 - which according to many ancient traditions carries with it various customs involving the celebration of fire and light. According to several theories, the use of fire as one of Hanukkah's symbols is partially rooted in ancient pagan ceremonies.

Traditional Hanukkah food includes sufganiyot - special sugar-powdered doughnuts, and latkes - potato pancakes.
the oil and the light in the Temple, Jews all around the world mark the Hanukkah festival, which usually falls in December, by lighting candles for eight days, singing songs and playing games. We also traditionally eat foods cooked in oil during Hanukkah, enjoying treats such as donuts and fried potato latkes.

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