Origins

  • Hanukah occurs from Kislev 25 – Tebet 2 on the Jewish calendar, which usually falls sometime in December.
  • The first Hanukah celebration (165 b.c.) was in honor of Judah Maccabee’s victory over the invader, Antiochus, who had ruled the city of Jerusalem for the past 3 years.
  • Hanukah originated from a combination of the traditional Succot (harvest) festival, which was the most important of all Jewish Festivals, and the dedication of the newly restored Temple of Jerusalem.  Although the Succot festival was traditionally held immediately after the fruit harvest, the Syrian Greek’s decree forbidding study of the Torah, and the observance of Jewish customs, forced the festival to be postponed until three weeks after Judah’s victory, when the Temple of Jerusalem had been restored to its original glory.
  • Traditionlly, the festival of Succot was celebrated for seven days, followed by an eight day of rest, as described in both the Bible and the Talmud.  One the first day of Succot, candelabras and torches were lit in temples and courtyards, illuminating the entire city for the seven days of ceremonies, processions and festivities that were to follow.
  • Within the Temple of Jerusalem, only the oil which bore the seal of the High Priest was used to light the festival lamps.  However, due to the destruction wrought by the Syrian invaders, only one bottle of oil, with enough oil for only a single day’s burning, remained pure once the Temple was restored.
  • While a rider was sent to obtain more oil, the festival was begun, and the single bottle of oil was lit. By some miracle, that single bottle burned for all eight days of the festival.
  • The following year, a new festival, often termed the Festival of Lights was held to honor the miracle of the oil.  This festival came to be known as Hanukah, and is considered a symbol of the triumph of the Jewish religion over the pagan Grecian culture that had attempted to abolish the spirit of Judaism.
  • The name Hanukah is derived from the root hanokh (dedication), in honor of the dedication of a new alter in the Temple of Jerusalem, which was constructed after the Syrian Greeks had contaminated the original alter stones.

Information summarized from:

  • Holidays, History, and Halakhah, Eliezer Segal, Jason Aronson Inc, NJ, 2000
  • The Jewish Festivals in Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Sources, by Gloria Wiederkehr-Pollack, Sepher-Hermon Press, Inc. Brooklyn, NY 1997
  • Jewish Holidays and Festivals, Ben M. Edidin, republished by Omnigraphics, Detroit, 1993
A Treasury of Jewish Holidays: History, Legends, Traditions, Hyman E. Goldin, Twayne Publishers, NY, 1952