Page 20 2023 Home For The Holidays Lincoln Daily News November 23, 2022 As such, though the four letters on the four sides of the top are now said to stand for the words in the Hebrew sentence “a great miracle happened there” (or, in Israel, “happened here”), that meaning probably showed up later.” Leah Silverman’s Town and Country Magazine article “17 Facts about Hanukkah you Probably Didn’t Know” describes more about some of the Hanukkah traditions such as lighting the Menorah, singing certain songs and reciting blessings. The Menorah, which Britannica says is sometimes called a “Hanukkah lamp” [and] recalls the Temple lampstand.” The Menorah is “a simple or elaborate candelabra with eight branches plus a holder for the shammash (“servant”) candle that is used to light the other eight candles.” These Menorahs come in various shapes and sizes. The tradition of lighting a Menorah date back 1800 years. Silverman says when the temple was rededicated “after the Maccabee victory … they required a holy light to burn inside at all times, but the Jews had only enough oil for one night. Incredibly, the light burned for eight days.” Now, Jews remember that by lighting one candle each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. The candles are to be lit soon after sundown starting from the left side. As the candles are lit, one of three Hebrew blessings is recited. In some areas, there are also community menorah lighting festivals. The world’s largest menorah, found in New York, is 36 feet tall. Additionally, just as there are traditional Christmas carols, there are some traditional Hanukkah songs. These Hanukkah traditions differ in various parts of the world. For instance, in North African communities, the menorah is placed in the doorway instead of the window. Fascinating Facts about Hanukkah The article by Silverman provides several fascinating facts on some of the Hanukkah traditions. For example, people used to be given at Hanukkah. Now, gift giving is more popular. Fried foods, like the donuts eaten at Hanukkah symbolize the miracle oil. Silverman says that the dreidels ‘were invented as a distraction” When Greek-Syrians outlawed Jewish studies, Jews “spun dreidels to pretend they were merely playing games” as they read scripture. The word “Hanukkah” comes from the Hebrew word “Hinuch,” which means “to teach.” Usually, what is being taught is from the Torah. Other ways to spell Hanukkah are Chanukah and Hannuka. These are all considered correct because there is no direct translation from Hebrew. Of all the Jewish holidays, Hanukkah is actually the least important. Rosh Hashanah, Continued --
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzExODA=