Chanukah

Chanukah begins on the night of the 25th of Kislev every year. This night does not always fall near the winter solstice but it does fall during the darkest time of the year. Because the Jewish calendar is a moon calendar that is corrected every few years to align with the Roman calendar, all Jewish holidays seem to move around. The word Chanukah actually means dedication, as in re-dedication of the temple after it was taken back from the Hellenistic rulers and soldiers. This was a war against assimilation,  that reminds us to remember who we are, to stay the course in spite of the siren songs around us. 

How funny that this minor Jewish holiday that happens to fall close to Christmas every year has some how taken on some odd significance in the modern world. It has been assimilated. So to set the record straight, there is no Chanukah Harry, or Chanukah bush, or a tradition of a large gift every night. This is not a holiday celebrating peace, rather it commemorates winning a small war. There is a tradition of lighting candles, one for each night, eating fried food, and playing dreidle. 

Here is a bit more information: Chanukah NOT the Jewish Xmas

It is a holiday about a miracle, but in typical Jewish fashion we are not sure what the miracle is. Is it that a small band of individuals were willing to stand up against the majority voices at great personal risk? Is it that this small group won against the larger force? We always hear that the miracle is that the oil for the ner tamid, the sacred light, lasted 8 days, but I wonder if the great miracle was knowing there was not enough oil but lighting the lamp anyway. Or is the miracle that we still remember an uprising in a distant part of the world that happened over two thousand years ago? Or that are still Jews around to celebrate?

I love this holiday. The light increases each night as we light one more candle until we light all 8 (plus the shamesh) on the final night. We have a menorah for each family member, including Shiloh, so the house seems full of light. The first night we were having so much fun that we burned the latkes...but that was part of the fun. This is an easy holiday, one that wraps around me and reminds me that sometimes we have to stand up for what we believe. And that having that courage is a miracle.

I wish you joy in whatever you choose to celebrate, or not celebrate, this season.