Whew - Hanukkah starts darn early this year! Why is that? Because Jewish holidays are based on the ancient Hebrew calendar, which accounts for leap year differently than the secular calendar. Hanukkah always begins on the eve of the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, and it celebrates “the triumph of light over darkness.”
In Hebrew, the word “Hanukkah” means “dedication” — specifically, the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, which had been destroyed during Syrian-Greek rule in the 2nd century BCE. Following the Maccabean Revolt, “the victorious Israelites were able to reclaim their beloved Temple.” But they only found one tiny last remaining vial of pure olive oil needed to light the Temple’s menorah. Yet miraculously, the menorah continued to burn for eight days while a messenger journeyed to another region to fetch more oil. So began the ritual of lighting one candle per night until all eight Hanukkah candles are lit. That taller candle you see in the middle of the Menorah is the Shamash, or “helper candle” used to light the others. Tonight, we use it to light the first candle only, tomorrow two candles, and so on.
Read More: Happy Hanukkah! (with Info and Fun Stuff)
