The Miracle of Hanukkah

Tonight marks the beginning of the 4^th day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Across the world, there are nearly 14 million people of Jewish descent, and many of these people will recognize and celebrate the holiday in different ways.

Check out our Hanukkah Display

Let’s start with the origins of the holiday. Some time, around 150 BC (BCE), the nation of Judea, under the leadership of the Maccabee family, fought for and gained its independence from Syrian captors. After winning the battle, the Jewish nation rededicated their temple and lit the temple menorah with consecrated oil. This holy oil requires 8 days to produce and the temple only had one day’s worth of oil available. The Jewish people prayed that the oil would last until the new oil was produced, and miraculously it did! Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of this miracle.

In general, Hanukkah is a relatively minor holiday. It is not a holiday mentioned in the Torah, and its importance pales in comparison to the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Passover, while not a High Holiday is also a much more important holiday on the Jewish calendar.

Hanukkah is a time to celebrate the miracle of the oil and the independence gained from Syria. It is celebrated through traditional games like dredel spinning (in low stakes games), through eating traditional foods (like latkes and sufganiot), through giving money to children, and through the nightly lighting of the menorah.

Latkes, a dredel and Gelt, All Hanukkah Traditions!

While each of these traditions from Israel holds true to the US, American culture has slightly altered the perception of Hanukkah. Because of it proximity to Christmas, those not familiar with Hanukkah may see it as a gift-giving holiday of great importance. This is not the case. It is a holiday of spending time with family, celebrating a miracle, and enjoying the history of a people. Small gifts are given by some families every night, and sometimes gifts are only given on the first couple of nights.

Much like Christmas, some of Hanukkah’s original meaning has been disguised by the hectic, commercial culture of the US. In practice though, many families hold these holidays to celebrate their original meanings. North Raleigh Florist celebrates with each of you and wishes each of you the happiest of holidays. Happy Hanukkah!