Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights (Lights, Candles), 2021 is celebrated from Sunday evening November 28 to Monday evening December 6. The date is unique for each year as it is calculated according to the lunar calendar.
The main tradition of this great Jewish celebration is the lighting of candles in a special candlestick, which is a symbol of the victory of light over darkness.
Hanukkah history
The celebration of Hanukkah dates back to the second century BC. 170 before the birth of Christ, the Jerusalem temple was captured by the Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. All the shrines of the temple, in particular, the golden Menorah, he sent to Syria. In response, the people of Judea raised an uprising and three years later won, although they were losing strength.
Returning to the defiled temple in Jerusalem, they saw there only one vessel of oil for the lamps.
It should have been enough for one day, but surprisingly, the flame did not go out for eight days. During this time, the Jews removed the pagan idols, consecrated the temple and made new supplies of oil.
The holiday was established in memory of the cleansing of the temple. The 25th of the Hebrew month is sour (the day the temple was desecrated), is considered the first day of Hanukkah; and candles became its main symbol.
Hanukkah is dedicated to conversations about the Hebrew sages, God and the Torah. This holiday is celebrated cheerfully, arranging rich feasts. Traditional dishes include donuts, fried garlic bread, salads and pies.
