Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated from December 18th to December 26th this year.
History of Hanukkah
The reference book Cultural Studies: Holidays Around the World describes Hanukkah in this way:
“Hanukkah commemorates the successful rebellion of the Jews against the Syrians in the Maccabean War of 162 B.C.E., but the military associations of this festival are played down.
What is really being celebrated is the survival of Judaism.
After the Jews’ victory, they ritually cleansed and rededicated the Temple, then relit the menorah (“perpetual lamp”); hence one of the other names for this celebration, the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew).
The story is told that although there was only enough consecrated oil to keep the lamp burning for one day and it would take eight days to get more, the small bottle of oil miraculously lasted for the entire eight days. It is for this reason that Hanukkah is also known as the Feast of Lights.
Jewish families today celebrate this holiday by lighting a special Hanukkah menorah, a candelabrum with holders for eight candles, one for each day of celebration, plus a ninth, the shammash, “server,” used to light the others. One candle is lit on the first night, two on the second, three on the third, through to the eighth night when all are lit. A special prayer is recited during the lighting, and while the candles burn it is a time for songs and games, including the four-sided toy called the dreidel. Other customs include the giving of gifts, especially to children, and decorating the home—something like the Christmas celebrations in Christian homes around this same time of year.”
More from the Library
To learn more about Judaism during this holiday, take a look at these library resources. If you need help finding more, Ask a Librarian!
The basic beliefs of Judaism: a twenty-first-century guide to a timeless tradition (print book, 2013) by Lawrence J. Epstein
“The book touches upon beliefs relating to creation, God, and the cosmos, as well as beliefs relating to day-to-day issues of family relations, social interactions, and ethics. Epstein draws from the Torah, the Talmud, Jewish folklore, and Jewish history to give the reader an understanding of how these beliefs were formed and have continued to evolve.”
Creating Judaism: history, tradition, practice (print book or eBook, 2006) by Michael L. Satlow
“Presenting snapshots of Judaism from around the globe and throughout history, Satlow explores the links between vastly different communities and their Jewish traditions. He studies the geonim, rabbinical scholars who lived in Iraq from the ninth to twelfth centuries; the intellectual flourishing of Jews in medieval Spain; how the Hasidim of nineteenth-century Eastern Europe confronted modernity; and the post-World War II development of distinct American and Israeli Jewish identities.”
Judaism in America (print book or eBook [same book under a different title], 2003) by Marc Lee Raphael
“This is the first anthology in more than half a century to offer fresh insight into the history of Jews and Judaism in America. Beginning with six chronological survey essays, the collection builds with twelve topical essays focusing on a variety of important themes in the American Jewish and Judaic experience.”