Hanukah and Menorahs - A Holiday Explanation For the Rest of Us

Menorahs - Hanukah's answer to winter darkness,Now here comes the really cool part: as they
lighting the sky over the ancient lands of theprepared the new Jewish alter in the Temple,
Hebrews, the holy Torah, the Star of David, allthey lit the traditional menorah (you've got it: it's a
the way to today's Jerusalem skyline. Called thelight!) with the little bit of oil they had left - just
Festival of Lights with its myriad menorahsenough for one day and one night. But that was
illuminating this centuries-old tradition, it may havereally bad, you see, because tradition required the
been invented just for those of us who loveTemple menorah to burn through each and every
candlelight. Maybe...maybe...night without going out. And it took eight days to
Okay, okay - maybe not.prepare more oil (hold it, hold it).
Or is it Hanukkah with two k's? And hey, whatThings looked bad, real bad. But they lit the
the heck is a "Torah"?menorah anyway, trusting they were doing the
Yes, that was a sad, audible sigh you just heardright thing. The few drops of oil in the menorah lit
from the "enlightened" side of the world. It's true:the Temple and new alter that day, and that night
most of us without a Jewish heritage don't have. . . and for eight more days and nights!
any idea what Hanukah is all about, and wouldn'tThe Jewish leaders declared a holiday to celebrate
recognize a menorah if it was monogrammed onthis miracle. Today candles are used in place of oil,
our baseball caps. But let's change all that in timeand each year on the first day of celebration one
for this year's holiday season: let the non-Jewishcandle is lit, then another candle is lit each day until
of the world - uh, well, let's not get carried awayon the eighth day all eight are lit.
- let's just learn a little about a Jewish tradition.Now, you have to understand the significance of
Hanukah, sometimes called Chanuka, is also calledthe number eight. According to the Torah (their
the Festival of Lights. It's celebrated on differentbook of knowledge, the one that holds their
days each year, like the Christian Easter holiday.truths and beliefs), it took seven days to create
Because it rotates according to the Hebrewthe world. The number eight is one number after
calendar, its eight days of celebration (more onseven, and to them represents the Infinite or
that later) fall anywhere from late November toGod (with a capital G).
late December.But menorahs have nine candles. Here's why: that
And yes - that's eight full days of celebration -ninth candle is the "workhorse," sometimes called
eight! In a row! How did Hanukah get to be eightthe servant light. Its only job is to light the other
days long? Well, it began a really long time agocandles, and it's placed at a different height than
with a storyline too familiar to the Jewish people:the other eight. This servant candle allows the
persecution and war. The Jews were ruled by theother eight candles to fulfill their sole responsibility:
Syrian king then, who decided to outlaw traditionalto illuminate the reason for the celebration. So on
Jewish practices - he actually banned Judaism inthe first day two candles are lit, three are lit on
Judah. In the ensuing days the temple was looted,the second day . . . and nine on the eighth.
Jews were massacred and a different alter wasThat's the story in a nutshell. Today the eight
erected in the Temple in Jerusalem.days of Hanukah, the Festival of Lights, is
But the Jews weren't going to take this. One ofcelebrated around the world.
the Jewish priests and his sons mounted and led aAnd now you know why the menorah is such an
revolt against the Syrians, and the war began. Itimportant part of this holiday, so next time you
took them two years, but they won their templesee a menorah you'll understand a little more, and
back and the right to worship as they chose.maybe you'll light a candle yourself.