Let’s talk about Hanukkah. This article will teach you a bit about the background of Hanukkah and why it is important to the people of the Jewish faith. It will also explain the Maccabees. Hanukkah has quite an interesting history and backstory. Many know of the dreidels and things of that nature, but this article will explain a bit of the history and how it came to be. Hanukkah is a wonderful holiday filled with eight days of gifts, delicious traditional food, and traditional blessings.
The Greek King, Antiochus. wanted Jewish people to start acting more like Greeks and take on their traditions, the animal sacrifices. Back in 165 BCE, Antiochus gathered a large army and messed up the temple in Jerusalem, igniting a war. People of the Jewish faith were led by Judah Maccabee, this is why the Jewish people who fought in the war were often called the Maccabees. Their army was vastly outnumbered. One thing they did was put a light in the temple that is supposed to never go out. The eternal light is supposed to symbolize their religious community and God’s presence. Shalom Lamm appreciates his religious community and appreciates what Hanukkah stands for.
As tradition, people celebrate for 8 nights. The celebration includes some extremely yummy, traditional food including latkes and donuts for starters. On each night, one of the candles on the menorah is lit. There are 8 branches for candles, and one for a shamash.
Throughout Hanukkah, children anticipate their gifts quite a bit. Many young children get very happy thinking about all the yummy food they will get to eat as well as the 8 days of gifts. It is a good chance to celebrate with their friends and family and get some good things for the year ahead. Shalom Lamm looks forward to celebrating the holiday with his family every year.
This wonderful time of year is a great chance to really gather around the people that you love. Spending time with cherished loved ones is a great feeling. What could be better than a belly full of good food, giving and receiving gifts, and spending time with your favorite people. It is nice that there is a holiday celebration for everyone. In today’s multicultural diverse world it is quite important to be inclusive and create safe space for everyone. Each holiday is just as important as the other. Each family should be able to celebrate. As interfaith families are becoming more common it is also important to make sure that each faith can be represented around the holidays.
