Chanukah is the eight-day wintertime Jewish “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers, and oil-fried foods. This year, Chanukah begins on Thursday December 7th and continues through Monday December 15th.
Chanukah or Hannukah celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple of Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC after it was recaptured from the Greeks by a small, greatly outnumbered and poorly armed Jewish army. When they tried to light the Temple’s Menorah, a nine-branched candelabrum, they found only a one-day supply of oil which miraculously lit the Temple for eight days.
To remember the miracle and give thanks for “delivering the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few…,” a candle is lit on the menorah, special prayers are recited, and a selection of oil-fried foods are served for each of the eight days of Chanukah celebration.
Since its first lighting by President Carter on the Ellipse across from the White House in 1979, the National Menorah, has been lit by the American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) on the first night of Chanukah, with a light added for each of the following 8 days. The 30-foot-high menorah has become a symbol of religious freedom and celebrates the Festival of Lights in a wonderful public manner. This year’s lighting which takes place on Thursday, December 7th from 3 to 6 p.m., will take on added significance in light of recent events. More information about the event can be found at nationalmenorah.org/tickets/.
Happy Chanukah!