Hanukkah

In Judaism, an eight-day festival of dedication and lights that takes place at the beginning of December. It celebrates the recapture of the Temple in Jerusalem from Antiochus IV of Syria in 164 BC by Judas Maccabaeus, and its rededication.

During Hanukkah, candles are lit each night and placed in a nine-branched candlestick, or hanukkiah: this commemorates the Temple lamp that stayed miraculously lit for eight days on one day's supply of oil until a new supply could be made, demonstrating that God kept his covenant. There is one candle for each of the eight days (an extra candle being lit to mark each day), and a ninth with which to light the others. The lights of Hanukkah symbolize the faith that must not die.

Antiochus IV had attempted to gain obedience from all his subjects by trying to force Jews living in Syria to give up Judaism and follow Greek customs. From 175 BC he forbade Jews their religion and desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem by setting statues of Zeus and other Greek gods on the altar, and ordering Jews to worship them. Many Jews were tortured and killed when they refused. A small group led by Judas Maccabaeus (Maccabi means ‘hammer’) took to guerrilla warfare. The conflict lasted for three years, but eventually the Temple was regained and cleansed. For Jews, this story reminds them of God's working in history, and reinforces the belief that, with faith and perseverance, a small number of people can overcome the might of a larger army. The story also demonstrates the importance of facing death to maintain one's religion.

At Hanukkah, the family will gather round to light the candles or lamps and a Hanukkah baruchah (prayer) will be recited. Children are often given gifts of money (Yiddish Hanukkah gelt), and foods cooked in oil such as doughnuts or potato fritters (latkes) are eaten. Children may play a betting game with a four-sided spinning top called a dreidel. This recalls the times when Greek soldiers would burst into houses, and children would hastily hide the Torah they were studying and pretend to be playing with spinning tops.