(AP) — Hanukkah — additionally spelled Chanukah or different transliterations from Hebrew — is Judaism’s “competition of lights.” On eight consecutive nightfalls, Jews collect with household and associates to mild one extra candle within the menorah — a multibranched candelabra.
In Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the vacation marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem within the 2nd century BC, after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying international forces.
With the tiny provide of ritually pure oil that they discovered within the temple, they lit the menorah — and it stayed lit for eight days. The ritual of lighting a nightly candle, in addition to the emphasis on cooking meals in oil comparable to potato pancakes known as latkes, memorialize this miraculously long-lasting oil.
When is Hanukkah 2024?
The dates of the vacation are based mostly on Hebrew month of Kislev, which often coincides with November-December within the Gregorian calendar.
This 12 months, Hanukkah will probably be celebrated from Dec. 25, 2024, by means of Jan. 2, 2025. It’s solely the fifth time since 1900 that Hanukkah has fallen on Christmas Day.
Why is Hanukkah so late this 12 months?
The straightforward reply is that the Jewish calendar is predicated on lunar cycles, and isn’t in sync with the Gregorian calendar which units Christmas on Dec. 25. Hanukkah all the time begins on the twenty fifth day of the Jewish month of Kislev, a date which happens between late November and late December on the Gregorian calendar.
Does Hanukkah observance fluctuate?
Jews throughout the non secular observance spectrum — from Reform to Conservative to Orthodox — concentrate on the identical theme of bringing mild into the darkness and emphasizing that even a small, against-the-odds effort can have a remodeling impact.
For that reason, though the Talmud displays a dispute over the order of lighting, most begin with one candle and enhance the lighting by yet one more candle every night time whereas reciting or chanting particular blessings.
The candles are added from proper to left, however lit from left to proper on the menorah, thus all the time beginning with the most recent mild. The particular menorah used for Hanukkah has eight branches, with a ninth place for the candle known as shamash from which all others are lit.
The custom requires candles with an actual flame, although some additionally use electrical ones in public shows, comparable to in hospitals, for security causes.
How is Hanukkah celebrated?
A menorah is lit in every family and historically is positioned the place it may be seen from the skin, comparable to a doorway or windowsill, to represent the spreading of God’s mild to all nations.
The lighting of menorahs in metropolis streets and parks has turn out to be extra distinguished lately in nations around the globe, together with in entrance of public landmarks.
Along with menorah lightings, giving to charity and social works are additionally a part of the celebration for a lot of, reflecting the idea that the Jewish individuals are known as by God to assist make the world higher for all.
Copyright 2024 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.