Hanukkah
(Between late November and early January)
Welcome to our Hanukkah page.

In America, Hanukkah is the best known of all the Jewish holidays, but it is not historically a major holiday. In Japan, the United States is viewed as a Christian nation and the vast majority of Americans are indeed Christian. What is not realized by many Japanese, however, is that much of Christian religious thought and much of the Christian literature including and following the Bible, is based on and heavily influenced by Judaism. 

Wikipedia describes this at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaeo-Christian where they state: 
Judeo-Christian is a term used to describe the body of concepts and values which are thought to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, and typically considered (sometimes along with classical Greco-Roman civilization) a fundamental basis for Western legal codes and moral values. In particular, the term refers to the common Old Testament/Tanakh (which is a basis of both moral traditions, including particularly the Ten Commandments); and implies a common set of values present in the modern Western World.

America was built on and continues to operate on Judeo-Christian concepts and values.
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights or Festival of Rededication, is an eight day Jewish holiday that starts on the 25th day of Kislev, which may be in December, late November, or, while very rare in occasion, early January (as was the case for the Hanukkah of 2005 to 2006). The festival is observed in Jewish homes by the kindling of lights on each of the festival's eight nights, one on the first night and two on the second night until the last night when all eight candles are lit.

The Hebrew word for Hanukkah is most commonly transliterated to English as Hanukkah or Chanukah. 

Commemoration
The holiday was called Hanukkah meaning dedication because it marks the rededication of the Temple after its desecration under Antiochus IV. Spiritually, Hanukkah commemorates the Miracle of the Oil. The Talmud tells the history of the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire. There was only enough consecrated olive oil to light the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate new oil.
Historically, Hanukkah commemorates two events:

1. The triumph of Judaism's spiritual values as embodied in its Torah (symbolized by the Menorah, since the Torah is compared to light) over Hellenistic civilization (considered darkness), which under Antiochus IV, had attempted to culturally assimilate the Jews away from practicing Judaism's commandments, by forcefully installing Greek religious symbols in the Second Temple.
   

2. The victory of the Jews over the armies of Antiochus IV. The rebellion was begun by Mattathias Maccabee and continued by Judah Maccabee and his other sons. The Maccabee force was small, but it defeated the overwhelmingly strong Greek army and rededicated the Second Temple.

The spiritual side of Judaism avoids celebrating military victories. Instead, the festival commemorates the Miracle of the Oil and the positive spiritual aspects about the Temple's rededication. In doing so, the oil becomes metaphor for the miraculous survival of the Jewish people through millennia of trials and tribulations.

The story
Around 200 BC Jews lived as an autonomous people in the land of Israel, also referred to as Judea, which at that time was controlled by the Seleucid king of Syria. The Jewish people paid taxes to Syria and accepted its legal authority. By and large, they were free to follow their own faith, maintain their own jobs, and engage in trade.

By 175 BC Antiochus IV Epiphanes ascended to the throne. At first little changed, but under his reign Jews were gradually forced to violate the precepts of their faith. Jews rebelled at having to do this. Under the reign of Antiochus IV, the Temple in Jerusalem was looted, Jews were massacred, and Judaism was effectively outlawed.

In 167 BC Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple. Mattathias, a Jewish priest, and his five sons John, Simon, Eleazar, Jonathan, and Judah led a rebellion against Antiochus. Judah became known as Judah Maccabee, Judah the Hammer. By 166 BC, Mattathias died, and Judah took his place as leader. By 165 BC the Jewish revolt against the monarchy was successful. The Temple was liberated and rededicated. To purify the Temple, oil was needed for the menorah, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. Although there was only enough oil to burn for one day, miraculously the oil burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. Judah Maccabee, his brothers, and the Jewish people celebrated the regaining the Temple. The miracle of the oil lasting for eight days became the holiday of Hanukah. Since then for more than 2000 years, the eight-day festival of Hanukah has been celebrated to commemorate this miracle.

This page is based on a page from Wikipedia titled Channukah. You can find the page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channukah. Wikipedia is open source. That means anyone is free to use it and alter it as long as they credit the source. Wikipedia is not copyright; it is leftright. The Channukah related text on this page is also leftright. You are free to use it as you like as long as you credit Aaron Teaches and Wikipedia for our authorship. This means that if you want to use this, you must include a statement crediting us and provide links to Aaron Teaches and Wikipedia.