Why do Jews Celebrate Chanukah (and how do you really pronounce it)?

(The 3-Minute Weekly Insight from Spirituality U.)

First, let’s getting something straight. Because Chanukah usually falls in December, some folks mistakenly think it has something to do with Christmas, or—as I heard somebody say once—“It’s the Jewish Christmas.” Well, it’s not. Chanukah has nothing to do with Christmas, Christianity or any Christian holiday. It is a distinctly Jewish observance.

And while it is an important Jewish holiday, it is not considered by Jews to be one of the Jewish “High Holy Days” (in the way that Christmas is seen as one of the major Holy Days for Christians).

Chanukah is an eight-day celebration that commemorates two miracles that occurred in the Holy Land. The first was the triumph in the 2^nd century BCE of a small and greatly outnumbered group of Israelites called the “Maccabees” over a much larger group of Greeks who occupied the country and tried to force the Israelites to adopt what they considered an un-G!dly lifestyle.

The second miracle is tied in a visual way to the celebratory activities during Chanukah. When they liberated the Temple from the Greeks, the Maccabees found only enough oil to keep the Temple’s Menorah (a candelabra) lit for one day. At the time it took eight days to produce and purify the oil.  Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days until the new oil was ready to be used. During Chanukah, Jews enkindle candles on a nine-branched candelabra called a Chanukiah. The first night the celebrants enkindle one light along with a central candle called the Shamash. The second night they enkindle two lights and the central candle etc.

But the eight days of Chanukah are celebrated in a variety of other ways as well. It is traditional to eat foods fried in oil (related to the miracle of the lamp oil) such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (a type of jelly doughnut) as well as dairy foods.

In many Jewish households children play with a special type of toy top called a dreidel. Children are also given gifts of money, sometimes in the form of gelt, chocolate “coins”wrapped in gold foil.

During Chanukah many Jews increase the level of their charitable giving. They may also add additional wording to their daily prayers and Grace after meals.

 How do you correctly pronounce “Chanukah” and how do you spell it? According to the chabad.org web site, “In the Hebrew, Chanukah is pronounced with the letter chet. The chet’s ‘ch’ sound is not enunciated like the ‘ch’ in child; rather it’s a guttural, throaty sound—like the ‘ch’ in Johann Bach—which does not have an English equivalent. The letter ‘H’ is the closest, but it’s not really it. So while some people spell and pronounce it ‘Chanukah’ and others settle for ‘Hanukkah,’ they really are one and the same.”

The word Chanukah means “dedication” or “induction” in keeping with the fact that the Temple had to be purified after it was liberated.

Chanukah begins on the 25^th day of the Jewish month of Kislev. Unlike the Western calendar, the Jewish calendar is based on the lunar cycle. So, even though Chanukah usually occurs in December, this year it begins on Thanksgiving.

For more information about Chanukah visit:

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/605036/jewish/Chanukah-FAQs.htm