It’s important to celebrate and represent Hanukkah, because it’s a holiday, too, and a fun one. - declan mcmahon
When you hear the words “holiday season,” what do you think of? If you’re like most Americans, you thought: colorful lights, shiny baubles, snow, inflatable snowmen, decked-out department stores, and pine trees. No judgment there. America is designed to promote Christmas around this time of year. But I thought I’d educate some of the populace and interview an OSA student named Meirav Roisman about Hanukkah, the often unseen, but just as fun, great
and interesting, side of the holiday season.
Hanukkah is a celebration of the eight days that the Maccabees, (the Israelites), kept the Eternal Flame lit on one can of oil. After they were attacked by the Greeks, there were two miracles. The first miracle was that the Maccabees’ army beat the Greeks, even though they were much smaller. The second miracle was that if the Eternal Flame went out, it meant God was no longer with them, and so they had to keep it lit. It was a miracle that one torch could stay lit for eight days on one can of oil, which was all they had, and God stayed with them through that time. Those eight days are the eight days of Hanukkah.
Each night of Hanukkah you light another candle on the menorah with the shamash, along with some other festivities. The menorah is a candelabra with nine candles, and a raised candle in the middle. The raised candle is the shamash, and you use it to light the other candles, one each night. You then eat a dinner full of yummy foods such as matzah balls, challah, latkes, sufganiyah (Jewish jelly donuts), and brisket--which according to Meirav, her family eats a lot of because it’s “one of the only things her family knows how to make.” After all that comes dreidel.
and interesting, side of the holiday season.
Hanukkah is a celebration of the eight days that the Maccabees, (the Israelites), kept the Eternal Flame lit on one can of oil. After they were attacked by the Greeks, there were two miracles. The first miracle was that the Maccabees’ army beat the Greeks, even though they were much smaller. The second miracle was that if the Eternal Flame went out, it meant God was no longer with them, and so they had to keep it lit. It was a miracle that one torch could stay lit for eight days on one can of oil, which was all they had, and God stayed with them through that time. Those eight days are the eight days of Hanukkah.
Each night of Hanukkah you light another candle on the menorah with the shamash, along with some other festivities. The menorah is a candelabra with nine candles, and a raised candle in the middle. The raised candle is the shamash, and you use it to light the other candles, one each night. You then eat a dinner full of yummy foods such as matzah balls, challah, latkes, sufganiyah (Jewish jelly donuts), and brisket--which according to Meirav, her family eats a lot of because it’s “one of the only things her family knows how to make.” After all that comes dreidel.
Dreidel is a Jewish top game in which a four-sided top inscribed with a Hebrew letter on each side. On one side is Nun (נ) another is Gimel (ג), another is Hei (ה) and last is Shin (ש). These together form the Hebrew acronym: נס גדול היה שם, which stands for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, meaning “a great miracle happened there” in English, referring to the miracle of Hanukkah in Israel.
To play, each person puts one of their 10 pieces (something small and plentiful, such as raisins, or, in Jewish tradition chocolate gelt) in the middle, or “pot.” Then on your turn, you spin the dreidel. If it lands on Nun, you do nothing. If it lands on Gimel then you get the whole “pot” of pieces. If it lands on Hei, you take half the “pot.” And, if it lands on Shin, you put one of your pieces in the pot. Once you are out of pieces, you lose. There are some variations, but this is the basic version.
Gift opening is a modern, recently added part of Hanukkah. In short, kids who celebrated Hanukkah were sad that their Christian friends got presents, so, sometime in the 19th century (which is also when Christmas blew up, due to becoming an American national holiday), that tradition was incorporated into Hanukkah.
As I mentioned earlier, America is very focused on Christmas during the holidays. And while Christmas and the holiday season is great for people who celebrate it, Hanukkah is underrepresented. I think it’s a very interesting holiday, though, and that’s why I chose to write about it. It’s important to celebrate and represent Hanukkah, because it’s a holiday, too, and a fun one. Latkes, chocolate top games, tradition, and religion. It’s just as good as Christmas.
To play, each person puts one of their 10 pieces (something small and plentiful, such as raisins, or, in Jewish tradition chocolate gelt) in the middle, or “pot.” Then on your turn, you spin the dreidel. If it lands on Nun, you do nothing. If it lands on Gimel then you get the whole “pot” of pieces. If it lands on Hei, you take half the “pot.” And, if it lands on Shin, you put one of your pieces in the pot. Once you are out of pieces, you lose. There are some variations, but this is the basic version.
Gift opening is a modern, recently added part of Hanukkah. In short, kids who celebrated Hanukkah were sad that their Christian friends got presents, so, sometime in the 19th century (which is also when Christmas blew up, due to becoming an American national holiday), that tradition was incorporated into Hanukkah.
As I mentioned earlier, America is very focused on Christmas during the holidays. And while Christmas and the holiday season is great for people who celebrate it, Hanukkah is underrepresented. I think it’s a very interesting holiday, though, and that’s why I chose to write about it. It’s important to celebrate and represent Hanukkah, because it’s a holiday, too, and a fun one. Latkes, chocolate top games, tradition, and religion. It’s just as good as Christmas.