Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, falls near the end of each calendar year. Sometimes overlapping with Christmas, and sometimes falling nearer to Thanksgiving, Hanukkah lasts eight days and is a time for Jewish celebrants to gather with family and reflect on a miracle that happened many years ago.
Marked by the lighting of the menorah — a nine-point candelabra with a new flame ignited each night — the holiday is unique in its prayers and traditions.
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When is Hanukkah 2022?
The first day of Hanukkah this year is Sunday, Dec. 18. The dates of the holiday run from sundown on Dec. 18 to sundown Dec. 26.
How many days is Hanukkah celebrated for?
Eight. The festival of lights lasts for eight days, and eight nights — this year it will begin the evening of Dec. 18, and end the evening of Dec. 26.
What is Hanukkah and why is it celebrated?
“Hanukkah” is Hebrew for “dedication.” Though the holiday is popularly known as the festival of lights, it is also the festival of rededication, meant to honor the victory of the Macabee soldiers over the Syrian Greek army.
In their victory the Macabees, led by Judah, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to their God. They had only enough oil to ignite the temple light for one night, and yet the light burned for eight days.
In the Jewish faith this instance is referred to as the miracle of Hannukah, and every year families honor that miracle during the eight-day holiday. A candle on the “menorah” or “hanukkiah” is lit each night to mimic the one that burned in the Holy temple so many years ago.
What do the 8 days of Hanukkah stand for?
Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days to mark the miracle of an oil lamp which had only enough supply to burn for one day when the Macabee army recaptured the Holy Temple in Jerusalem but astonishingly burnt for eight.
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Why do Hanukkah’s days change every year?
The dates of Hanukkah are determined by the Hebrew Calendar not the Gregorian calendar, which is what we use. This creates a shift in when the holiday is celebrated each year.
The first day of Hanukkah is always on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar which is lunisolar — based on the movements of the sun and moon.
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What are some traditions of Hanukkah?
Aside from the lighting of the menorah, Hanukkah is also celebrated with traditional games and foods.
Jewish celebrants will often cook potato pancakes known as “latkes” throughout the holiday, serving them at times with apple sauce or sour cream. Another traditional dish is a jelly donut, or “sufganiyot.”
Another honored tradition involves the game of “dreidel” in which a four-sided top is spun and whichever face it lands on, each painted with a Hebrew letter, instructs players to add coins or take them out of a poker-style pot. The “coins” in question are actually made of chocolate though, wrapped in a gold tin foil to resemble money and called “gelt.”
What do Jews do on Christmas?
Some jews are in mixed-faith families and celebrate Christmas while others choose to participate in traditions of their own to mark the day.
Some Jews spend the day going to the movies or eating out at Chinese restaurants while for others it is a day that punctuates difference, Andrew Wolfson writes for the Louisville Courier Journal.
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