Hanukkah

Hanukkah (or Chanukah) is is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. The name Hankukah comes from the Hebrew word 'chanu' meaning 'they rested' and the Hebrew date '25' pronounced in Hebrew 'ka' because on the twenty-fifth of Kislev the Jews rested from their enemies. Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights because Honukkah is observed for eight straight nights, beginning on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.

Hanuccah is observed by lighting the candles of a special candelabrum, the Menorah or Hanukkah. Each night of the holiday, a new candle will be lit, succeeding to eight on the final night. Families usually take turn lighting the candles each evening while reciting their blessings. The shamash light Hebrew: "guard" or "servant") is also lit each night, the light should be distinctively higher or lower than the other lights. The shamash light (service candle, or in the old translation: the sexton.) is to adhere to the prohibition, specified in the Talmud (Tracate Shabbat 21b-23a), against using the Hanikkah lights for anything other than publicizing and meditating on the Hanukkah story. (The shamash is used to light the other lights.) In other words, it prevents onlookers from assuming that the shamash is part of the chanukiyah candle count.

Hanukkuh celebrations are incomplete without a Hunukkah party. There are many ways to have a Hahnukkah party.

*Decorate your house in traditional colors of Israel (blue, white, and silver).
*Display Hanukkah items, such as chocolate gelt (Yiddish for money) and dreidels.
*Set up the menorah. This special candelabra has nine branches, one for each night plus one at a different height to hold the shamas candle.
*Recite the blessings. There are three significant blessings to speak during the eight days.
*Give small and inexpensive gifts, but make sure they are meaningful.

Honukah
Honukkuh
Honikkah