Every yr , usually in mid- to late - December on the westerly calendar , Kislev 25on the Hebrew calendar , Jews around the mankind celebrate the holiday ofHanukkah . Also know as theFestival of Lights , the vacation remembers one particular instance of victory over religious persecution , when the Jews were able-bodied to escape oppression at the hand of Antiochus , a Syrian king .
Hanukkah is aneight - Nox celebration , and the celebration let in lighting a candle in theHanukiyah(in English - speaking land this is often called aMenorah , which is the Hebrew word for a candelabra ) on each sidereal day of the holiday .
In 167 B.C.E. , the Syrian kingAntiochus IVbegan to outlaw Judaic spiritual practice and forced Jews to follow Hellenic rituals . His men took control of the Jews ' Holy Temple in Jerusalem , looted it and erected an matinee idol of a Greek Supreme Being there . One Jewish folk , the Hasmoneans ( led by Mattityahu and his five sons ) , decided to take a stand against the persecution . The Hellenic force arrived in the town of Modiin , near Jerusalem . It was here that after reject to violate his own religion by pray to the Greek god Zeus , Mattityahu attacked the Greek soldiers .
This action began theJewish rebellion . Mattityahu and his Son became known as theMaccabees , which means " men who are as strong as pound " in Hebrew . The small ground forces , lead by Mattityahu ’s most famous son , Judah Maccabee , fought sizeable Grecian force . In 165 B.C.E. , the Maccabees were exultant . On the 25th of the Hebrew month Kislev , the Maccabees reclaim the Holy Temple .
They decide torededicatethe temple — the news " Hanukkah " means commitment . The Judaic regular army was unable to find enough oil to visible radiation themenorah , or candle holder , to be used in the Robert William Service . The Maccabees observe only one bottleful of rock oil , enough for only a single night . Miraculously , the oil lasted eight nights , giving the Jews time to produce more oil .
The holiday of Hanukkah commemorates this miracle . By lighting candle for eight nights , Jews celebrate the triumph of the Maccabees , the rededication of the Holy Temple and the miracle of the rock oil lasting for eight days .
The Hanukiyah
The most important , and most distinguish , Hanukkah tradition is the lighting of the candelabrum , known as theHanukiyah(or theMenorah ) . TheHanukiyahholds nine taper , eight representing the eight night of the vacation plus theShamash — this candle is used to light up the other candles . The first candle is perch on Erev Hanukkah , the night before the vacation starts .
One infix the candle into theHanukiyahfrom rightfield to left , one candle for each day of the Hanukkah miracle ( for illustration , on the second day of Hanukkah , there are two steady candles and a Shamash candle in the Hanukiyah ) . Blessings are said while someone light the wax light from left to right . According to custom , the leftover - most standard candle represent the most recent daytime of the miracle , and one lights this candle first because he is most thankful that the oil lasted yet another day . As each day passes , theHanukiyahbecomes brighter and brilliant .
These are the blessings for the light of theHanukiyah :
For more information on the holiday of Hanukkah , seeHow Hanukkah Works .
