Hanukkah 2022: When it starts, how it's celebrated & other facts about the Jewish festival

Chag Sameach! Hanukkah 2022 (also spelled Chanukah) started from nightfall of 18th December this year and will continue till the nightfall of 26th December. As Jewish people around the world celebrate Hanukkah 2022, let's look at the roots of Hanukkah and its relevance in Jewish culture. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. The holiday is celebrated by lighting a special nine-branched candelabra, called a menorah, for eight nights, one candle each night, starting on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev.

The origins of Hanukkah can be traced back to the second century BCE, when the Jewish people were living under the rule of the Seleucid Empire in ancient Palestine. At this time, the Seleucids, who were Greek-speaking Syrians, sought to Hellenise the Jewish population and suppress their religion. They banned the practice of Judaism and desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem, the holiest site in Judaism. In response to these oppressive measures, a group of Jewish rebels known as the Maccabees rose up against the Seleucids. Led by Judah Maccabee, they successfully defeated the Seleucid army and reclaimed the Temple, purifying it and rededicating it to the worship of God.

Is Hanukkah mentioned in the Bible?

The story of the Maccabees' victory and the rededication of the Temple is told in the book of 1 Maccabees, which is part of the Apocrypha, a collection of Jewish texts that are not included in the Hebrew Bible. According to this account, when the Maccabees entered the Temple, they found only a small jar of oil that had not been defiled by the Seleucids. They lit the oil in the Temple's menorah, and miraculously, it burned for eight days, until more oil could be obtained.

To celebrate this miracle, the Jewish people established the holiday of Hanukkah, which translates to "dedication" in Hebrew. The menorah, which is central to the holiday, symbolises the miracle of the oil and serves as a reminder of the Maccabees' victory and the rededication of the Temple. Hanukkah is a relatively minor holiday in the Jewish calendar, but it has come to hold a special place in Jewish culture. It is a time for family and friends to come together, exchange gifts, and share in the celebration of the holiday's themes of resilience, courage, and faith.

One of the most well-known traditions of Hanukkah is the lighting of the menorah. Each night of the holiday, an additional candle is lit on the menorah, starting with one candle on the first night and ending with eight candles on the final night. The ninth candle, called the shammash, or servant candle, is used to light the other candles and is not counted as one of the eight. In addition to the lighting of the menorah, Hanukkah is also marked by the singing of traditional songs, such as "Maoz Tzur" and "Hanerot Halalu," and the playing of games, such as dreidel, a spinning top with Hebrew letters on it.

Hanukkah foods, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (donuts), are also an important part of the holiday. Hanukkah has also become a time for Jewish communities around the world to come together and celebrate their shared heritage and culture. It is a time for reflection on the past, and for looking forward to the future with hope and optimism. In modern times, Hanukkah has taken on additional significance as a way for Jews to celebrate their religious and cultural identity in the face of ongoing persecution and discrimination.