Hanukkah meaning (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Hanukkah:

Hanukkah, Hanukkah, Festival of Lights or Luminaria, is a Hebrew celebration that begins on the 25th of Kislev according to the Jewish calendar, and lasts for eight consecutive days, until the 2nd day of Tevet.

On the Roman calendar, it approaches December 22, which coincides with the winter solstice. However, its meaning is based on a biblical account.

Indeed, the Hanukkah festival commemorates two concatenated events: the independence of the Jews from the Seleucid Greeks, and the purification of the second temple in Jerusalem, events that occurred in the times of the Maccabees.

The king of Syria, Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175 and 164 BC), had claimed to hellenize the Jewish people and compel them to embrace paganism.

At that time, the leader Yehudá Macabi had managed to capture the attention of a group of rebels, called Maccabees, who opposed the rulers and fought to defend their religious identity.

Although the fight was uneven, as the Greeks outnumbered the Maccabees, little by little the Maccabees found a way to expel the Seleucids and regain control of the second temple in Jerusalem.

According to the Talmud accounts, when the Maccabees returned to Jerusalem they found the temple desecrated. The menorah, a seven-armed candelabra that was to be permanently lit, was extinguished and contained very little sacred oil, which was barely enough for a day.

The oil purification process took about eight days, but despite this, the Maccabees preferred to turn on the menorah light as soon as possible. Surprisingly, the menorah stayed lit by itself during the eight days of waiting, a fact they attributed to a miraculous sign.

Since then, the Jewish people determined that they should celebrate the episode annually, as a way to give thanks for the miracles granted to defenders of the faith and, subsequently, to ancestors.

See also:

• Judaism Hanukkah.

Hanukkah candlestick

Hanukkah's main symbol is a nine-armed candelabra, called a januquiá : four on each side and a larger one in the center. Every Hanukkah night a candlelight should be turned on. Only the first day will be different, since on this one two lights should come on: the light on the main arm and one of the group lights.

This commemoration does not include prohibitions or restrictions of any kind, so that it can be lived alongside everyday life without alterations. However, it is common for families to gather for dinner during these days to watch the lighting of the candles and to pray their prayers.