Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, celebrates the events which took place over 2,300 years ago in the land of Judea, which is now Israel. It is a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians and the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. The Festival of the Lights lasts for eight days to commemorate the miracle of the oil that burned for 8 days. The word Hanukkah means "rededication".
Every year between the end of November and the end of December, Jewish people around the world celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah begins on the evening of the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, but the starting date on the western calender varies every year.
This year (2002) Hanukkah begins at sunset Friday November 29, 2002 and ends on December 7, 2002 (25 Kislev - 2 Tevet 5763).
( 25 Kislev-2 Tevet 5762 )
On each day of Hanukkah, feelings of gratitude are expressed through special prayers, and the lights of the Menorah are lit each evening. It is also customary during the holiday for members of the family to play dreidel, to give "gelt" (Hanukkah money), to give presents, and to eat oily delicacies such as donuts, and potatoe pancakes (latkes).
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Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah
THE STORY OF HANUKKAH
- as told by Heather ( age 10 - 1999 )
with a little help from Mommy!!!
Thousands of years ago the Jewish people were ruled by the Greeks in Syria. The Jews were forced to act like the Greeks or they would be killed! They were forbidden from studying Torah, keeping Shabbos, or following Jewish ways. Then one day the Greek king ordered the Jewish people to worship the Greek g-ds, many Jews refused and were killed, and others did what the king said. The Syrian soldiers broke into the Jewish Temple!! They put statues of Greek gods in the Temple. They put pigs and other non-Jewish items on the holy altar and all over the Temple. They knew the Jewish people could never use the Temple again as long as it was this way.
Not that far away there was a small village. The Jews that lived there decided it was time to fight back so they gathered many good Jewish fighters and lead by a mighty man named Mattathias, they gathered in the woods to prepare to fight the Greeks. When they had enough men for a small army, they went off to battle led by Judah, one of Mattathias' sons. Judah became known as Judah Maccabee since he fought so hard. Maccabee means " hammer". His soldiers were called the Maccabees.
The Syrian army had thousands of trained soldiers. They laughed at the Jews when they saw them because they did not believe so few people could fight against their whole large army. The Syrian soldiers were sure that they would win but boy, were they wrong!! The Jewish army fought real hard. They were not trained as well as the Greeks but they were fighting for something they really believed in - their religion!!!! And their love for their religion made them VERY strong and brave!!! The Jewish army wiped out the whole Greek army and won!!
After the fight the Jews returned to their village. They went back to the Temple and removed all the greek idols and everything the Greeks left behind. They rebuilt the broken Temple and then Jewish people from all over the land came to celebrate and to thank G-d for saving them and returning their land to them!!
When Judah and the Maccabees entered the Temple, the Eternal Light was no longer burning. The Eternal Light was an oil lamp that burns in temples day and night!! Judah wanted to light it again but there was no oil. Finally they found one very small jar of holy oil. Everyone knew it was only enough to last one day but a miracle happened and the little jar of oil burned not for ONE day, but for EIGHT days!!
Today we celebrate Hanukkah by lighting candles in our Menorahs for eight days to remind us of this miracle and to celebrate our freedom and to rejoice in our religion!!
MORE HANUKKAH FUN:
Please click on the links below to visit our other Hanukkah pages!!
WISHING EVERYONE A HANUKKAH FILLED WITH LOVE, HAPPINESS, AND GOOD HEALTH
jessi-ann and Heather
PAIN PAL'S RSD SUPPORT
This page is dedicated to all our friends and their loved ones who have had their lives changed by Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. May your holiday season be filled with painfree days and restful nights and may the coming year find us so much closer to a CURE and AWARENESS for RSD!!
It was an honor to be given this lovely award! Thank you Carol - December 4, 1999
