Hanukkah Starts on December 10th – Things You Should Know
The majority of us have Jewish friends but do we know anything about a major holiday that they celebrate? Honestly, I had no idea until a few minutes ago and my best friend in the world happens to be Jewish. In honor of Hanukkah starting this week here's some things you need to know if you want to sound educated on the holiday. According to history.com
The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. Hanukkah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew, begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar and usually falls in November or December. Often called the Festival of Lights, the holiday is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, traditional foods, games and gifts.
So exactly when does Hanukkah start this year. December 10th at sunrise is the official start for 2020 however it changes every year. According to ktvb:
Because of the calendar difference, the start of Hanukkah seems to move around. Occasionally it overlaps Christmas and in 2013, the "Festival of Lights" even coincided with Thanksgiving, something that won't happen again until the year 79,811.
You might be thinking... So what's the story with the candles? here is how ktvb breaks it down:
"During each night of Hanukkah, you light one candle for each night plus an additional one called the shamash, the "helper" candle, which is lit first each night and used to light all the others. So on the first night of Hanukkah, the shamash is lit, along with one other candle. Over the course of the eight nights of Hanukkah, 44 candles will be used."
Now to the most important part of the holiday ( this is the fat kid in me asking ) Are there any specific foods are served during the holiday?
Fried potato pancakes and fried jelly donuts are the most popular dishes. there you go you've just taken Hanukkah 101 and hopefully won't fail when your friends quiz you.
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