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Photo credits: Flash90. Hanukkah ( Chanukah) is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods. The Hebrew word Chanukah means “dedication,” and is thus named because it celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple (as you’ll read below).
The Hebrew word Hanukkah literally means “dedication.” (In modern Hebrew, a hanukkat habayitrefers to a ceremony or gathering held to mark the dedication of a new home — or, a housewarming party.) This definition points to the holiday’s originas a celebration of the rededication of the ancient temple in Jerusalem.
Hanukkah is a post-biblical holiday. This means that both the holiday, as well as the events it commemorates, happened after the books of the Bible were written. There is nothing at all in the Torah about Hanukkah which is one of the reasons that — unlike Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot — Hanukkah is considered a minor holiday.
Dec 4, 2023 · Hanukkah — also spelled Chanukah or other transliterations from Hebrew — is Judaism’s “festival of lights.”. On eight consecutive nightfalls, Jews gather with family and friends to light one additional candle in the menorah — a multibranched candelabra. In Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the holiday marks the ...
- GIOVANNA DELL'orto
But what does the word Hanukkah even mean? What is the story of Hanukkah and why does it not appear in the Jewish bible? Where do its many customs originate? In our new email series “All About Hanukkah,” discover the answers to these questions, explore special songs, foods and global traditions of the holiday, and go deeper into the ...
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