Chanukah is ... Jewish holiday Hanukkah

There are a lot of anecdotes about the stereotyped images of Jews, but for some reason further this rarely comes. Not many people know well what the behavior of a true Jew should be, what features kosher food has, what a Hanukkah feast is. Postcards, congratulations - how relevant is it to friends?

Religious meaning

Judaism and Christianity are completely different religions, so Hanukkah, despite the fact that by dates it roughly coincides with Christmas, is not its analogue. Moreover, this is a completely different holiday with a different meaning. If Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, God's son, Jews 8 nights remember their spiritual values. In Hebrew, Hanukkah is "sanctification." And this holiday began with a religious miracle, when after the restoration of the Second Temple - an important Jewish shrine - a menorah, a special seven-barrel candle burned for 8 nights, although only one oil was enough. Therefore, another name that is worn by Hanukkah is the Feast of Light. Of course, this miracle is worth remembering, but are Jews really celebrating it? It will soon become clear that everything is much more complicated and multifaceted.

date

So, when is Hanukkah celebrated? In general, the date is fixed, but only with respect to the Jewish calendar. There it falls on the period from 25 Kislev to 2-3 Tevet. But the fact is that the generally accepted chronology is based on several other principles, so for most people Hanukkah falls all the time on different dates. Usually it falls on November-December. Probably, this is another reason why the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is so firmly associated with Christmas.

Symbolism

Of course, one of the main attributes of the holiday is Hanukkah - an unusual lamp, which is unlikely to be met not in a Jewish house. Perhaps it is precisely that candles are used as one of the main symbols of Hanukkah, and misleads many. The fact is that they are also used by Christians as decorations for a Christmas tree or they are placed on a window sill. This tradition has roots that go back centuries, during the Reformation in England. At that time, Catholics were persecuted, so that Irish families, if they wanted a priest to visit them on Christmas, had to somehow signal this. The candle on the windowsill was one of the signs.

Hanukkah in form is very similar to the menorah, but has two additional candlesticks. Initially, she looked completely different and was very comfortable to be hung on the wall. Now, almost do not do this, but it is still prescribed to put the lit Chanukiah in a prominent place. In addition, after lighting candles, it is customary to read a special prayer, and about half an hour after that, women should refrain from any work. If the flame burned less than half an hour, the rite is not considered fulfilled, and it is necessary to conduct it again.

Traditions

Since Hanukkah is a celebration of light and lights, it is not surprising that it is accompanied by the lighting of candles. But even this simple action in this period is meaningful. Every evening, during the sunset or immediately after it, one candle of Hanukkah is lit, and the next one is joined by the second and so on. It is important to know that the lamps should be placed from left to right, and ignite in the opposite direction. So by the end of the festive period all nine candles are burning, including shamash, located in the center.

Despite the fact that it is not one of the main Jewish holidays, Hanukkah is the period when the whole family gathers together. Everyone congratulates each other, they play with a dreidel - a special tetrahedral top, they sing songs. By the way, as for the game, it was associated with Hanukkah relatively recently. As historians believe, the prototype of this entertainment first appeared on the lands of modern Germany around the XVI century.

There are also traditional dishes: Jews during this period are very fond of cooking latkes, that is special pancakes from potatoes with onions and salt, with apple sauce and sour cream. Also very popular during Chanuka are the donuts in powdered sugar. Many Jews also use a lot of dairy products throughout the festive week, thus honoring Judith, who saved an entire village from the Syrian conquest. In addition, in any food during this period, add a lot of oil. These are the traditions of the Hanukkah festival.

Congratulations

The festival of light also has the meaning of acquiring freedom of religion, spiritual self-determination. Of course, congratulations with Hanukkah will be pleasing to any Jew, including from acquaintances of other religions. The simplest thing to say is "Hag Hanukah Sameah." This simple wish of a happy holiday will impress or at least touch any Jew for whom religious traditions are important.

There is also a reverse situation, when Jews wish happiness to their acquaintances of another religion in honor of the holiday. Do not take a congratulation from Hanukkah as a bad joke. This holiday is open to all, and one of its meanings is the desire to bring joy and light to the world. So, in 2003 in the Catholic Vatican Hanukkah candles were lit for the first time. If to speak in general, then do not react sharply to congratulations. You just need to politely thank and wish happiness in return, because it's just Hanukkah. Congratulations are quite appropriate.

Gifts

Despite the fact that in the sense of the attributes of the Jewish Hanukkah - this is practically Christian Christmas, there is a serious difference between these holidays. For Jews it is not typical to make gifts during this period, of course, if it is not about children. Adults, if they present surprises to each other, then, as a rule, these are just pleasant simple trifles. If Christmas in recent years has become firmly associated with insane expenditure and expensive gifts, then Hanukkah is a holiday that managed to avoid this so far. By tradition, only children bring sweets and nuts, as well as special money - the Geld.

Other Holidays of Judaism

Chanukah is simply a period when Jews remember their spiritual values and hardships that their ancestors had to endure. They think that, despite all the difficulties, they managed to survive and come to today's prosperity. Nevertheless, this is not the main holiday in the Jewish calendar. Moreover, almost always all adults work in this period, although children often do not attend school.

In general, there are three main holidays that most Jews celebrate. First, this is the New Year, or Rosh Hashanah. It falls about September and marks the beginning of a new cycle of life. Secondly, it is Purim, symbolizing the salvation of Jews from extermination. At this time - usually this is March - everyone exchanges sweets. Finally, the most important holiday is Pesach, or the Jewish Passover. But if in the Christian tradition this is the day of the resurrection of Jesus, then the Jews have a completely different meaning. Their central holiday is dedicated to the exodus of Jews from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. And still, among the non-Jewish population of Europe and the USA Hanukkah is perceived as the most important holiday. Perhaps in a sense it is, although formally, of course, Pesach is much more important.

Modern tendencies

The information age has its imprint on religious holidays. Instead of getting together, relatives and friends just send messages and pictures to each other. Few now study the Torah in this period. Perhaps only Orthodox Jews remain true to these traditions, and all those living outside of Israel do not always remember what Hanukkah generally means. Postcards, however, are distributed or distributed by many. There is also a tendency to exchange gifts, but, as a rule, it does not go beyond the family and is practiced only in Western countries.

The role in raising children

Congratulations with Hanukkah - this, of course, is fine, but this holiday, among other things, allows you to play in the game and the usual form of shaping the spirituality of offspring. On the sides of the dreidel there are four letters that symbolize the phrase "a great miracle was there," and inside Israel the last word is "here." In addition, during this period, parents have the opportunity to communicate with children, to tell them about the traditions of their people and what they mean. Thus, Hanukkah is also the days of unity of generations. Well, while playing with the drill during periods of persecution helped Jewish children learn writing.

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is amazing and multifaceted in the philosophical sense. At first glance, this is simply a memory of a military victory, but if you think about it, everything is much deeper and more interesting. Probably, for Jewish children this holiday is indeed a kind of analogue of Christmas, though with quite a different meaning. In any case, one should not underestimate the atmosphere of spiritual unification, which is full of Hanukkah. Postcards, talks, treats, meetings of old friends - all this is designed to draw people's attention to the true meaning of the holiday. And it consists in uniting people.

Features and security measures

Judaism provides many trifles that may seem ridiculous to a modern man, however many Jews of strict views still adhere to the traditions of their ancestors and do not forget about them even during Hanukkah.

So, one of the days of this festive period, it is worth to be especially attentive and light the candles before the Shabbat. In addition, it is worth remembering that menorahs and chanukalia can not be blown out without special need - they must burn out to the end. If there is a need to stay out of the house for a long time, you can put out the candles. In order to avoid a fire, it must be taken into account that any sources of open fire should be placed in places inaccessible to children, as well as on stable and preferably non-flammable surfaces. For greater security, you can put Hanukali on a sheet of foil.