Brooke Martin
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday that involves the lighting of candles on a menorah. The holiday commemorates the victory of Jewish rebels over the armies of Syria and the liberation and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. It is celebrated for eight nights, and on each night, a candle or oil-based light is lit. The number of candles lit each night depends on the specific customs being followed. Some families light one candle on the first night and add an additional candle each night, resulting in eight candles being lit on the final night. Others may light a full set of candles each night, resulting in nine candles being lit on the final night. The menorah is typically placed near a window, and the candles are lit after sunset, symbolising the miracle of light.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of candles | 9 |
| Order of lighting candles | Right to left |
| Direction of lighting candles | Left to right |
| Timing of lighting candles | Shortly after sunset or after nightfall (approximately 30 minutes after sunset) |
| Placement of Menorah | Can be put out anytime, lit or unlit, but may seem out of place if left out for too long after the holiday |
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What You'll Learn
The shamash candle
The shamash is the candle that is used to light all the other Hanukkah candles. It holds a special role in the ceremony, adhering to the prohibition in the Talmud against using the Hanukkah lights for anything other than commemorating the Hanukkah miracle. This is in contrast to Sabbath candles, which are meant to illuminate and provide light. Thus, if one requires extra light during Hanukkah, the shamash candle is available, ensuring that the other candles are not used for any other purpose.
The shamash plays a central role in the lighting ceremony. Some, especially Ashkenazim, light the shamash candle first and then use it to light the other candles. This results in two lights being lit on the first night, three on the second, and so on, culminating in nine lights on the final night, including the shamash. This progressive lighting of candles symbolises the growing greatness of the miracle each day.
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The miracle of the oil
The story of the miracle begins with the Maccabees, who, upon returning to the Temple, wanted to rededicate it through various rituals, including the lighting of the Menorah. According to Jewish law, the Menorah could only be lit with specially prepared pure olive oil. However, when the Maccabees searched for pure oil, they found only one small flask or cruse of uncontaminated oil bearing the seal of the High Priest. This amount of oil was only sufficient to burn for one day, and it would typically take eight days to produce a new batch of pure oil.
Despite the seemingly insufficient amount of oil, the Maccabees lit the Menorah, and miraculously, the oil lasted for all eight days. By the time the oil was depleted, new pure oil had been prepared. This miracle symbolized not only purification but also the moral and political victory of self-determination and the right to worship freely.
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The number of candles
The shamash translates to "attendant" or "servant" candle. It is typically lit first and then used to light the other candles, working from left to right. The shamash is placed at a different elevation than the other eight candles, which are placed in the menorah from right to left, with the first night's candle in the right-most spot.
The menorah is a candelabra, a large candlestick holder with multiple branches. While a candlestick holds one candle, a candelabra holds several. A menorah typically has seven branches, while a Hanukkah menorah, or chanukiyah, has nine branches—eight candles and one shamash.
The lighting of the candles is the most important part of Hanukkah celebrations, also known as the Festival of Lights or Feast of Lights. The holiday commemorates the victory of Jewish rebels over the armies of Syria in 165 B.C.E. and the liberation and "rededication" of the Temple in Jerusalem. According to the Talmud, there was only enough consecrated oil to relight the candelabra for one day, yet it miraculously remained lit for eight days.
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The candle-lighting ceremony
The ceremony typically takes place just after sunset, except on Fridays when the candles are lit before sunset. The menorah, a candelabra with multiple branches, is placed on a table near a window, preferably to the left of the door. The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left, but are lit from left to right, with the most recent candle lit first. The shamash candle is usually lit first and used to light the other candles.
Before lighting the candles, blessings are recited. One blessing is:
> Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who made us holy through your commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights. Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in those ancient days at this season. Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has given us life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.
After the candle-lighting ceremony, traditional Hanukkah songs are often sung, and foods such as latkes (fried potato pancakes), sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), and dairy products are enjoyed.
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The history of Hanukkah
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. The story of Hanukkah is contained in the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees, which tell the story of the Maccabees, a group of Jewish fighters who liberated the Land of Israel from the Syrian Greeks who occupied it.
Under the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Syrian Greeks sought to impose their Hellenistic culture, which many Jews found attractive. In 167 B.C.E., Antiochus intensified his campaign by desecrating the Temple in Jerusalem and banning Jewish practices. The Maccabees, led by the five sons of the priest Mattathias, waged a three-year campaign that culminated in the cleaning and rededication of the Temple.
The miracle of the oil is widely regarded as a legend, and its authenticity has been questioned since the Middle Ages. The Talmud, written about 600 years after the events described, mentions the miracle of a one-day supply of oil lasting eight days. However, some have questioned why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days when the miracle was only for seven days.
The holiday of Hanukkah is established as a time of thanksgiving and praise to God. It is a time for families to come together, exchange gifts, and eat traditional foods such as latkes (potato pancakes), jelly doughnuts (sufganiyot), and Sephardic bimuelos. Each night throughout the eight-day holiday, a candle or oil-based light is lit, with the number of candles increasing by one each night until the eighth night, when all eight candles are lit.
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