The Hanukkah Recipes Food Cooking International Guide
The Hanukkah Celebrations Over Eight Days
By Imogen T Stubbs
The Hanukkah festival is a Jewish celebration to commemorate
the rededication of the Second temple in Jerusalem, which took
place in the 2nd century B.C. This ceremony begins on the 25th
day of the civil year’s third month, commonly referred to as Kisev.
This is normally in accordance with the calendars of the Hebrews.
The ceremony usually goes on for eight consecutive days. Most
of the time, the ceremony takes place between the month of November
and December.
This Hanukkah holiday is characterized by the lighting of special
candles. Every night, a single candle is lit on a menorah and
this goes on until the eight day ceremony is over.
The Shamash In The Middle Of The Candelabra
There is always a special light on a Hanukkah menorah which is
known as shamash, which translates to mean a servant or guard.
Unlike the rest of the candles that are lit each on its own night,
the shamash is lit every night and has a distinct location in
the middle of the candelabra, usually placing higher than the
rest.
It is used to light the rest of the candles. This extra light
is in compliance with the prohibition that is contained in the
Talmud. According to the Talmud, these lights are not supposed
to be used for any other purpose besides commemoration of the
Hanukkah holiday, which is well explained in one of the apocrypha
books known as the first and the second book of Maccabees.
Eight Days Of Celebrations
The word Hanukkah has several meanings according to the review
and interpretation of different scholars. According to some, Hanukkah
is a Hebrew word that has an English equivalent meaning "to
dedicate."
Others believe that Hanukkah is a symbolic word and has the meaning
of eight and thus the reason why the festival is celebrated for
eight days. Others still believe that Hanukkah means twenty five,
meaning the 25th day in the Hebrew calendar when the festival
is celebrated.
Hanukkah Is Different To The Sabbath
The major characteristic of the Hanukkah festival is the performance
of specific ritual. There are different types of rituals performed,
with each day having distinct rituals that are different from
rituals performed on other days.
The rituals are categorized into two, with some being performed
by the community as a whole and others being performed by families.
Hanukkah has no similarity with the Sabbath, apart from the fact
that both of them are Jewish ceremonies.
A Major Ritual Is Light Kindling
While there are some limits as to the kind of actions one may
engage in during Sabbath, this is not so with Hanukkah holiday
and life is normal with people engaging in their daily chores
as usual. Yet in the evenings of the festival, families will light
the appropriate candle and may display Hanukkah decorations, give
a Hanukkah gift or listen to Hanukkah music.
The major ritual that must be performed during the Hanukkah festival
is light kindling. In line with the beliefs of the Jewish people,
every night there is a single light that is kindled, together
with Shamash, a special kind of light that is always placed on
top or below the other lights.
Hanukkah lights and Sabbath candles are different, as they serve
different purposes.
About the Author:
Imogen T Stubbs has written a number of articles on holiday feasts, kitchen, food and cooking including
Happy Hannukah,
Thanksgiving Feast,
Hot Water,
Refrigerator Water Filter,
Water Filtering System,
Whole House Water.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.
Did You Know?
Hanukkah is a special time of year for those that celebrate these
days. It is traditional to give gifts during this time but with
the economy sagging who has the money to spend on expensive items?
Do not worry, there are still great gifts that you can find for
loved ones that will not break your budget or your bank. The trick
is to find the right websites rather than battle it out with other
shoppers in the mall or retail stores. You can find some incredible
sales with great discounts on shipping.
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