At the post office recently, I asked to purchase a book of religious stamps for my Christmas mailing. The clerk offered me a book of stamps with a picture of the Menorah. With this Jewish symbol in my hand I began to recall the Jewish family who visited our home each Christmas. The children, in particular, wanted to visit our home to see our Christmas tree. This was my first introduction to the Jewish faith and only years later learned that the Jewish feast celebrated in December was called Hanukkah.
This year our Christmas story overlaps with the eight-day Hanukkah celebration (December 22 to December 30th) where the Menorah plays a key role. (The word “Hanukkah” means “dedication”). The Temple, the holiest of worship places and the center of Jewish communal celebratory life was destroyed by the army of the dominating ruler, King Antiochus, who was intent on abolishing the faith of the Jewish people and their religious traditions. Divisiveness resulted among the Jewish people. Fearing the power of the King, many Jews felt compelled to obey and abandon their faith. However, another small group, the Maccabees, continued their Jewish prayerful customs and way of life. They were also determined to return to their temple and to restore their religious freedom. As history informs us, the Maccabees were victorious and while restoring the Temple discovered amid the rubble their precious menorah (lamp). Oil was necessary for the lamp to burn and the oil flask contained only enough for one day of light, however, miraculously, the menorah remained lit for eight days. Each year that miracle and the rededication of the Temple is recalled during the eight-day celebration.
And we conclude with words from Dan Rather “Tonight, families will gather to light candles in celebration of hope and perseverance, a determination to not be deterred in the face of challenge. It's choosing Light over Darkness. And we all could afford to welcome some of that light into our homes and hearts. Happy Hanukkah!”
SOME TRADITIONS DURING HANUKKAH:
The Menorah: has nine candle holders. Each night another candle is lit. One candle sits higher in the middle and is referred to as the helper candle. It is lit first each night and each candle is lit from the light of the helper candle starting from left to right as a blessing is spoken.
The Dreidel: a four-sided top played by children during the Hanukkah celebration days. Four words written one each side in Hebrew read “A great miracle happened here”.
Foods: fried in oil to continue the connection to the miraculous oil. Latkes (potato pancakes) served with sour cream are common, as well as jelly doughnuts (Sufganiyot) and cheese-filled cookies.
Source: A Hanukkah Treasury Edited by Eric A. Kimmel, Illustrated by Emily Lisker
- Sister Mabel St. Louis