Happy Hanukkah!

Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, begins tonight at sundown. Hanukkah lasts eight nights, ending on December 28th this year. The first candle on the menorah will be lit tonight. Hanukkah celebrates the triumph of the light over the darkness, a triumph of the spirit.

Hanukkah is in remembrance of a time, some 21 centuries ago, when a small band of Jews defeated the invading armies of the Greeks. When they returned to the Temple to reclaim it and light the menorah, they discovered that only one cruse of olive oil had escaped contamination. This oil, which should have burned for only one day, miraculously burned for eight days, allowing time for new oil to be prepared with ritual purity. The sages instituted the celebration of Hanukkah so that all would know of the miracle.

Other Hanukkah traditions include eating foods fried in oil, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts), and playing with the dreidel, a spinning top whose symbols represent the phrase "a great miracle happened there." Children receive presents at this time as well as gelt (chocolate coins) or money.

I am not Jewish, but I enjoy experiencing the traditions of other cultures and sharing them with my family. If you would like to know more about Hanukkah, please visit the chabad.org website which offers a wealth of information about Hanukkah as well as other Jewish holidays.

Chanuka Sameach!

Happy Hanukkah!