Evansville is full of diverse and unique traditions, including various holidays of multiple religions. For the local Jewish population, the celebration of Chanukah (often spelled Hanukkah) began yesterday and will be celebrated for eight consecutive nights until December 18. Often called the Festival of Lights, Chanukah begins on the 25th of Kislev, the 9th month of the Hebrew calendar. Chanukah is adjacent to the Christian holiday of Christmas, falling in November or December, and although the two festivals share some traditions (eating, gift giving, candle lighting, song singing and game playing), the two holidays are very different in origin. Christmas is one of the major holidays for Christians around the world, but Chanukah is a relatively minor holiday for Jews. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the high holidays that fall in September, have much more spiritual importance.
The story of Chanukah is not found in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) because the writing of the Torah predates the events that lead to the celebration of Chanukah. Chanukah is referenced in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, but the full story can be found in the Talmud, a central text of Judaism. The word Chanukah means dedication in Hebrew. Chanukah celebrates the victory of the Jewish Maccabees over the larger Syrian army that had been oppressing them since around 200 BCE. Following increased massacres and desecrations, in 168 BCE the Maccabees, led by Mattathias and then his son Judah, rebuilt the previously destroyed temple and rededicated its altar and menorah. The menorah in the temple was intended to be kept constantly lit but at the time there was only enough pure olive oil to keep the flame glowing for one day. Despite this, the menorah kept flickering for 8 nights until the Maccabees could find a fresh supply of oil. Chanukah celebrates the miracle of the oil that should have only lasted one night burning for eight nights.
Chanukah is a holiday Jewish families celebrate at home with each other. During Chanukah, on each of the eight nights, a candle is lit in a special menorah (candelabra) called a Chanukiah. While other types of menorahs exist, the Chanukah menorah has eight lights, with a ninth called a shamash, that is separated from the other eight. Shamash means caretaker in hebrew, and the shamash candle is used to light the other candles of the Chanukiah.
On any given night of Chanukah you will find families celebrating in their homes with candle lighting, gift giving, playing the dreidel game, and feasting on latkes (potato pancakes) or jelly donuts. Jews traditionally eat food fried in oil at Chanukah to celebrate the oil that continued to burn in the ancient temple.
The traditional game played during Chanukah is dreidel, which means “spinning top.” A dreidel is a 4 sided top with Hebrew letters inscribed on each side: Nun, Gimel, Hey or Chai, and Shin. The letters form an acronym for the Hebrew saying Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, which can be translated to “a great miracle happened there,” referring to the miracle which Chanukah is centered around. If you want to play dreidel at home, you can make one yourself following these instructions and then play the game using these directions. Make sure you also learn the song!
The traditional food eaten for Chanukah are latkes, which are potato pancakes made out of shredded potatoes, fried in oil, and served with applesauce and/or sour cream. Some modern versions make use of additional ingredients such as other root vegetables, or even zucchini or squash.
The giving of chocolate coins is also a highlight of Chanukah celebrations. The gelt (coins) of Chanukah symbolize the booty, including coins, that the Maccabean victors distributed to the Jewish widows, soldiers, and orphans following their victory over the Syrians.
Here in Evansville, the congregation at Temple Adath B’nai Israel will be meeting for an outdoor lighting of the Chanukiah each night of Chanukah. Families will take turns lighting the candles and they will broadcast the event on their facebook page so that everyone can participate, even if they are homebound.
To learn more, visit these websites
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hanukkah
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah
https://www.thespruceeats.com/hanukkah-food-traditions-2121650
