Hanukkah Shows the Significance of its Past
Before Hanukkah was known for its candles, games, food, and gifts, it was known for explaining the story about the Jewish people’s struggle for freedom. The holiday, also known as the Festival of Lights, helps to remind people of a time when Jewish people fought to protect their religion and culture, even when they were told that they couldn’t practice it.
Before the events of Hanukkah, King Antiochus Ⅲ had ruled the vast Seleucid Empire which include Israel from 223 BC to 187 BC and had given Jewish people privileges, such as allowing them to practice their religion. He was known for being tolerant and notably favorable towards the Temple in Jerusalem.
After the death of King Antiochus III, his son Antiochus IV, Epiphanes, hadn’t followed in his father’s footsteps and took a different path towards their practice. His rule was much harsher and he would come to oppress Jewish people and attempt to force Greek culture and religion onto them instead.
Antiochus IV had disrespected the Jewish culture many times and had his soldiers massacre thousands of people. He also desecrated a temple by sacrificing a pig, which is a non-kosher act, inside of the sacred walls. This is when a group of Jewish fighters decided to rebel and they called themselves the Maccabees.
This group was led by a Jewish priest, Mattathias, and his five sons. Although they were outnumbered and were not as equipped as the Seleucid forces, they were still able to defeat the Selecuid army that worked for Archichus IV. This victory was led by Mattathias’ son after he had passed away, Judah Maccabee.
Their victories allowed them to reclaim the Jewish Temple, and marked a major turning point in the history behind Hanukkah. When they had gone to clean out the Temple and relight the candle lights, they had witnessed a miracle. There was only enough oil to light the menorah’s candles for one day. However, the flames continued to burn for eight days. This is why the holiday is celebrated for eight continuous days.
“Although I’m not Jewish, I found the holiday to be very meaningful. I was surprised to hear that Hanukkah was about them fighting for their religious freedom. It made me realize that it’s not just about the candles, “ said Natalie Sierra, a sophomore at iPrep North Academy.
Today this holiday is celebrated by Jewish people worldwide, as both a religious and cultural holiday by lighting a hanukkiah, which is a menorah specifically meant for Hanukkah, with nine candles. Eight of those candles are used to represent the miracle of the oil and the last one is known as the shamash or the helper candle. This candle is used to light the others and is to symbolize the miracle, it is the first candle to be lit on the first day.
The holiday is celebrated by families coming together to light the candles, eat delicious food, play games, exchange gifts, and remember their history. Some traditional foods that are eaten include Latkes (potato pancakes) and Sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), which are both foods fried in oil to commemorate the miracle of the oil lasting eight days. A game that is commonly played is the dreidel game, which is a simple game of chance played with a four-sided spinning top.
“Some traditions that I have is eating dinner with my family, and meeting up with even more family on the first and last days of Hanukkah,” said Alexander Ilyasov, a sophomore at iPrep Academy North.
This holiday is always celebrated on the 25th day in the month of Kislev by the lunisolar Hebrew calendar. While Hanukkah is considered to be a minor holiday in Judaism, it continues to have such a meaningful history behind it and helps to bring families together.
