What is Hanukkah?

Question

What is Hanukkah? I wasn't raised in a Religious House so I know nothing about the different faiths, is it the Jewish Christmas? if so, I thought all faiths Celebrate the Birth of Christ on the same day.

Answer 1

Chanukka is the festival of lights celebrated because of the miracle that happened years ago when the temple was destroyed and there was not enough oil to light the menorah (candlestick with may branches). Miraculously the one jar of oil lasted for eight days instead of one, therefore we celebrate Chanukka by lighting the menorah, each night for eight nights starting with one candle and adding a new candle each night. We light the menorah with a ninth candle which sits higher than the others. Chanukka has not correspondence to Christmas and only happens to fall out around that time of year. I hope you have more of an idea about Chanukka now! Be well!

Answer 2

Here is a little more definitive info.

Hanukkah

The Menorah is also a symbol closely associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. According to the Talmud, after the desecration of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, there was only enough sealed (and therefore not desecrated by idolatry) consecrated olive oil left to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days which was enough time to get new oil as well as finish rebuilding the Temple. The Hanukkah Menorah therefore has not seven, but nine candle holders. The four holders on either side are to represent the eight day celebration of the miracle of oil, while the one in the middle, called the Shamash, is used to light the others. While this type of menorah is technically called a Hanukiah, the "menorah of Hanukkah" is sometimes simply called a menorah.

Answer 3

Jews do not believe that Jesus was "Christ"; as a result, we do not celebrate his birth.

Hannukah is the "festival of lights," celebrating the victory of the Maccabees over Antiochus' Syrian-Greek regime. After winning the victory, the light in the Temple was rekindled, but there was only enough oil to last a single day. It miraculously lasted for eight days, until more oil could be made ready for use. Thus, we celebrate for eight nights, lighting eight lights on a menorah (actually a "chanukiah" or "hanukiah" [the spelling can't be exact because the word is Hebrew and uses a letter that doesn't map directly to a letter in the English alphabet], as a menorah can be a candelabra or lamp with any number of lights, technically), one for each night, plus a 9th light which is called a "sh'mash," that serves as a "servant" candle to light the others. It is a comparatively minor holiday in the Jewish calendar, and has nothing to do with Christmas except that it happens to fall near the same time of year.

Whoever said there is no such thing as a "chanukiah" needs to do a little reading; there most certainly is. Seven-branched menorahs are for use in a place of worship, and many Jewish people used three- or five-branched menorahs for the Sabbath candles - always an odd number, with the "odd man out" being the servant candle.

Answer 4

NO! it is not christmas.... jews do not celebrate that! It is a jewish holiday that celebrates the Mirical of the Oil in the second Tabernacle (Beit Hamikdash). You see, Antiochas the King of the greeks came to Isreal and said that all Jews were not aloud to learn Torah (Bible) , have Brit Milah, or celebrate Shabbos (Sabbath). And they went into the Beit Hamikdash and unsealed all the oil. Then after a war between Yehuddah HaMaccabii (the jews' leader @ the time) and the greeks, which the jews won, they went to light the Menorah but, they couldn't find a bottle of oil. Finnaly someone found a small bottle of oil that would only last 1 day but they needed it to last 8. Their was a miricale and Hashem made the oil last 8days. Today we celebrate this miricale by lighting the menorah and parents give kids presents as an incentive to learn Torah.
That is a breif explanation of the history and holiday of Channukah .

Answer 5

I'll keep this real simple and short.

Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukkah) is NOT the Jewish equivalent of the Christian Christmas.

The short answer is that Hanukkah is a festival of religious freedom.

The link below will give full details, but the short version is that early-day Jews were being forced to abandon their religion in favor of pagan rulers.
After a long fight, the Jews returned to their Temple to celebrate their victory...only that to light the menorah, there was just enough oil for one day.

The miracle of Hanukkah was that the oil in the menorah burned for eight days - so Hanukkah is also called the "Festival of Lights".

Also, the Jewish calendar (based on solar and lunar events) makes the days of Hanukkah begin at different times each year.

If Christians were hip to the roots of Jesus, they too would be celebrating this festival because of the significance of religious freedom.

Answer 6

Hanukkah is not the Jewish Christmas.
Hanukkah is the eight-day celebration of the time when oil lasted in a lamp for 8 days when thought it would only last one.
I actually forgot the whole story, I only know that part.

Answer 7

Rita: She's right, hon. A menorah is the thing that they lit in the Temple, which had seven candles. And it's a HANUKIAH with an I, not a Hannukah. The hanukiah is what Jews light today, with nine candles, but is commonly called a menorah after the menorah in the temple.

Alpha: Wondering how on earth you can be Jewish and celebrate Christmas. How exactly do you celebrate it???
And they're called latkes :) yum

Answer 8

Jewish Holiday

Answer 9

By the way, all Christians do NOT celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25. We used to have a nanny that celebrated her Christmas in September. I forgot what church she was from.
And, I totally agree about celebrating Chanukah when you are a Christian. I have been married to a wonderful Jewish man for nearly 27 years. Our children were blessed with the best of both worlds.

Answer 10

Only Christians celebrate the birth of Christ. Other religions have their own customs and festivals.
Hannukah is somewhat akin to Christmas, since it occurs around the same time. It's Judaism's "festival of lights," celebrating the ancient story of a miracle wherein a day's worth of temple oil burned for eight days, allowing more to be made and the lights kept burning. A special candelabra, called a menorah, with eight arms has a candle on it lit each night to celebrate, with certain prayers and songs accompanying it. Gifts of money are often given to children, and specific foods, like latkes, are eaten and games played, like spinning the dreidel.