SanghaToday Blog

This year’s Hannukah begins on the evening before December 2nd. Though Hannukah is frequently compared to the Christian Christmas festival, it actually commemorates a different event – that of the victory of the Maccabees over the Greek/Syrian leaders of Jerusalem in around 164BCE. One of the central parts of the festival is the recognition of the temple’s being ‘rededicated’. At this time, God made a single day’s worth of oil burn in a lamp for eight whole days.

As a consequence, the festival is also commonly known as the ‘festival of light’. Other people sometimes call it the feast of lights.This is celebrated by the lighting of special Hanukkah candles, which are held in a chanukkiah - a nine-candled candelabra. One new candle is lit on each night of the festival.

One popular custom is to eat fried food at this festival. This is another reference to the oil used in the temple. Pancakes are quite often eaten – the traditional recipe containing potatoes and served with apple sauce.

More recently, Jews have started the practise of gift giving - possibly because of the festival’s proximity to Christmas. Normally though, gifts are only exchanged between family members.

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