Hanukkah (Festival of Lights)

Some people have referred to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah or Chanukah as a “Jewish Christmas.” It isn’t. It has nothing to do with Christ or Christmas. It is the eight-day Jewish celebration that commemorates the rededication of the second temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt against the Greek empire. Often called the Festival of Lights, the holiday is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, traditional foods, games, and gifts.

Antiochus IV began his reign 174 B.C., and he was a greedy tyrant who took the title, Epiphanes, meaning “the gods’ beloved.” Humility wasn’t one of his strong points. One historian thought that the title, “Epimanes” would be more appropriate. This word means “madman.”

The Greeks were occupying Israel at this time and needed money to pay for their continuing military conquests. Meanwhile, the Jews had quite a bit of wealth stored in the temple. It stored the annual temple tax as well as funds for the needy. The temple served as a place of worship and a bank. Can you guess where the story is going from here?

Antiochus IV (the “god’s beloved” or “madman”) also wanted to unite his empire under one religion. If everyone was of one mind with regards to religion, there would be fewer conflicts among his people. Everyone was to think and worship alike, including the Jews. In 168 B.C. he outlawed the Jewish religion and his troops descended on Jerusalem. They massacred thousands of people and desecrated the Second Temple. They offered a pig to the pagan god Zeus on the altar in the temple, poured broth from the pig onto the sacred scrolls and burnt them. This did not win the hearts and minds of the Jews.

A group of Jews called the Maccabees, led by Judah Maccabee, fought a two-year guerilla war against the occupiers and liberated the temple. They cleaned up the temple, rebuilt its altar and built a new menorah. The original, made of gold, was stolen by the Greeks. The new one had nine branches. Each day of Hanukkah they would light one oil lamp. The oil lamp in the middle was used to light the other eight. So brilliant was Judah Maccabee as a military strategist, there’s a statue of him at the U.S. Army Military Academy at West Point.

The miracle of Hanukkah is that they only had enough sacred oil to last one day, but it lasted eight days. Or maybe it didn’t. In the book of Maccabees, there is no mention of an oil shortage. The story doesn’t appear until six centuries later when Hanukkah is mentioned in the Talmud.

If the miracle didn’t happen, why did the Jews celebrate the rededication of the temple for eight days? Because they had been fighting the Greeks in the autumn and they couldn’t celebrate the eight-day festival of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles).

In 2023 Hanukkah is observed from December 7 to December 15. How do Jews celebrate Hanukkah? By saying some prayers, of course, and eating fried foods such as potato pancakes and jam-filled donuts. Why fried foods? Fried foods remind them of the oil used in the menorah. I guess you could eat French fries, instead. Other customs include playing with a four-sided spinning top called a dreidel and exchanging gifts. Menorahs are oftentimes displayed in windows to remind others of the miracles of the lights.

In recent decades, particularly in North America, Hanukkah has exploded into a major commercial phenomenon, largely because it falls near or overlaps with Christmas. From a religious perspective, however, it remains a relatively minor holiday that places no restrictions on working, attending school or other activities. In sympathy with the Jews, we can go to the local donut shop and enjoy donuts and coffee without any guilt.

Jesus celebrated this holiday, though not necessarily with donuts. John 10:22 says, “And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.” This dedication refers to Hanukkah.

Unlike the temple lamp, the Hanukkah menorah isn’t mentioned in Scripture, so the designs vary considerably, from the whimsical to the more serious.