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Light the first candle at sundown on Sunday night, 14 December.
Tracey Rich's Judaism 101 contains an excellent description of Hanukkah, including its history and a link to prayers for lighting the candles. Rich supports my own position that this is really a minor festival that has grown into a holiday far out of proportion to its religious significance. Indeed, while Hanukkah celebrates a successful rebellion by Jews against pressures to assimilate with Hellenistic culture, it now represents the ultimate assimilation.
Chabad's Virtual Chanukah has readings, recipes, a directory of events, and more.
The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism — a joint agency of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) — has another Hanukkah page.
ReformJudaism.org's Hanukkah page describes how the holiday can be a time of tikun olam (healing the world).
The apocryphal book I Maccabees is post-biblical and thus not considered with the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms to be part of Jewish holy scripture. Nevertheless, chapters 1-4 deal with the story of Hanukkah. (The linked version is from the King James Version of the Bible and thus does not necessarily reflect Jewish tradition.)
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The word Hanukkah means dedication, referring to the rededication the Temple after the Syrians were driven out of Jerusalem. A Hebrew word, it has several transliterations into the Roman alphabet, including Chanukah, Hannukah, and Hanukah.*** End Right Sidebar ***
Hanukkah is not the "Jewish Christmas". This is not a holy event. It does not signify anything about renewal (celebrated at Rosh Hashanah), the start of a religion (celebrated at Simchat Torah), or human redemption or salvation (celebrated at Yom Kippur). Hanukkah celebrates a minor, post-biblical, historical event in which the outnumbered Hebrews defeated the imperial army of a Helenized Syria and drove them from Jerusalem. It celebrates a triumph of Jewish spirituality over Grecian philosophy. It celebrates religious freedom, especially freedom from government-imposed religion (e.g., the Greek religion imposed by the Greek-Syrian king Antiochus). And it celebrates an apparent miracle when special, sacramental oil sufficient to light a holy lamp in the great Temple for only one day lasted for eight days while fresh oil was prepared.
Today, while we may be able to practice our religion without fear of persecution, the separation of church and state is under constant attack. As this boundary weakens, it becomes more and more possible for religious groups to legislate their religious beliefs, thus embedding religious coercion into our nation's most sacred documents. Chanukah reminds us to stand up against threats to this wall — threats such as prayer in public school, the posting of the Ten Commandments on public property and school vouchers. As we stand up for the separation of church and state, we help ensure that our country continues to be a haven of religious liberty.Source: Chanukah and Religious Liberty
© 1996-2005 Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
As with many Jewish holidays, food is an important part of celebrating Hanukkah. At least one festive dinner is served during the holiday. To commemorate the miracle of the oil, fried foods are traditional. In the United States and Europe, potato pancakes (latkes) are often served. In Israel, doughnuts (especially jelly-filled sufganiyout) are more common.
Celebrating Hanukkah in our public schools does not balance celebrating Christmas. Both are religious celebrations and neither belongs in tax-supported facilities in front of captive audiences of impressionable children. Teaching about Hanukkah and Christmas is quite different from celebrating them. Presenting a curriculum in comparative religion without endorsing any belief and without asking students to join in religious practices — avoiding any form of proselytizing — can improve understanding and tolerance.
Lighting a Hanukkah menorah is a religious rite. It is definitely not the same as lighting a Christmas tree (which has a pagan origin). A very specific set of prayers is recited each time a Hanukkah menorah is lighted. How many prayers are said for a Christmas tree? Thus, I feel it is inappropriate to erect and light a menorah in a public park or in the lobby of a city hall. This makes unpaid use of taxpayer property for religious purposes and is therefore a violation of the separation of religion and government.
Traditionally, Hanukkah is not a holiday for exchanging gifts, not even one gift let alone eight gifts (one for each night). Adults do give coins to children on Hanukkah; this is the Hanukkah gelt (gelt being the Yiddish word for money, not for gold). But this is for young children only, not for adults. The traditional Jewish holiday for giving gifts is Purim, in the spring. Giving gifts at Hanukkah is merely an assimilationist attempt to mimic the commercialism of Christmas, which has become so extravagant as to remind me of the economically destructive potlatches of the Kwakiutl tribes of the Pacific Northwest.
I am uncomfortable when a family celebrates the religious aspects of both Christmas and Hanukkah. Mixed-religion married couples are, of course, a reality. As individuals, each can find comfort and meaning in his or her own religion. But a family as a unit cannot schizophrenically follow two religions, especially where beliefs might contradict each other. This can be especially confusing to children. I feel that each member of a mixed family should try to understand and appreciate the beliefs of the others. However, in the spirit of Hanukkah — a celebration of religious freedom — none should feel pressured to follow the others' beliefs. Mixing cabernet and chablis does not make a rosé, but we do sample and appreciate each separately at a wine tasting.
Updated 11 November 2022
