Yesterday marked the start of Hanukkah, one of the oldest holidays in the world. In fact, it dates back to the year 200 and has a deep history in the Jewish culture and religion.
Here are eight facts about Hanukkah for the holiday season.
1: Hanukkah Celebrates Two Major Events in Jewish History
Hanukkah, sometimes spelled Chanukah, is a Jewish holiday that can be traced back to a holy war in Judea in 200 BC. At the time, Judaism was outlawed, and a holy place named the Second Temple was taken over by invaders. Two years later, the land and the temple were retaken by Jewish armies. Once the Second Temple was back under Jewish control, they lit a candle with the little oil they had left. It was only supposed to last a night, yet the candle burned for eight days.
In short, Hanukkah's eight day celebration is for both the retaking of the Second Temple and the candle that burned far longer than it should've.
2: The Menorah is The Candelabra, Not the Candle
The menorah is the name of the candelabra. For clarity, a candelabra is a candlewick designed to hold more than one candle. The origin of the menorah predates Hanukkah by quite a bit, as the menorah is first mentioned in the Hebrew bible. Worth noting, the word menorah is the Hebrew word for lamp.
3: Fried Foods Reign Supreme on Hanukkah
Some of the most common Hanukkah snacks include potato pancakes called latkes and jelly donut treats called sufganiyah. Other options include fried goat cheese and fried mushrooms. The reason fried foods are popular during Hanukkah is because the oil used to fry them is symbolic of the oil used to keep the first candle burning for eight days.
4: Hanukkah is Just One of Many Jewish Holidays
Despite how well known Hanukkah is to non-Jewish people, it's not the most important holiday in Judaism. That title belongs to Yom Kippur, a day of spiritual atonement for Jewish people.
5: Hanukkah Candles are Lit in a Specific Order
Every night of Hanukkah, a new candle is added to the menorah. One begins by adding a candle to the far right side. However, candles are lit left to right. For example, on the first night, a candle is added to the right side and lit. The next night, the second candle is placed and lit then the original, right candle. This process of lighting the newest candle first then the rest in order of left to right, continues for the rest of Hanukkah.
6: There are Nine Candles Used During Hanukkah
While a menorah only has room for eight candles, there is a ninth candle called a Shamash or "Helper Candle." The Shamash candle is used to light the other candles each night.
7: When Hanukkah Begins and Ends is Based On The Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar, a lunisolar calendar, is based purely on the cycle of the full moon. Additionally, the Hebrew calendar includes a 13th month during leap years, which occur approximately every three years, as opposed to the Gregorian calendar leap years, which occur every four years. Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month on the Jewish calendar.
8: The Origin of Dreidels in Judaism Involves a Bit of Misdirection!
While the origins of the dreidel game aren't strictly Jewish, it has been used by Jewish people since at least the year 200. Back then, Judasim was outlawed and invaders took over the holy Second Temple. During that time, Jewish people adopted the dreidel game as a way of studying the Torah, which is a Jewish religious text, in secret. When their oppressors would approach, they'd hide their religious texts and pretend they were just playing with dreidels.
Bonus fact: The Hebrew writing on dreidels made outside of Israel translates to, "A Great Miracle Happened There." Whereas the Hebrew on dreidels made in Israel translates to, "A Great Miracle Happened Here."
Celebrate The Holidays However You Wish
Whether you partake in Hanukkah traditions, Christmas festivities, or anything in between, this time of year is special to many cultures. And we're happy to have the chance to highlight a few of them. With that in mind, happy holidays, and have an awesome new year!