The Jewish community celebrates Hanukkah until Sunday, December 25.
The rite consists in lighting successively and each evening, for eight days, the candles or lamps of an eight-branch candlestick - not to be confused with the menorah, the seven-branch candlestick of the holy places.
This holiday commemorates the
“miracle of oil”
.
This tradition dates back to 164 BC, in Jerusalem.
Judas Maccabee must then purify a temple ransacked by Antiochos IV Epiphanes, sworn enemy of the Jews.
To do this, the one who heroically defeated the Seleucid Greeks finds only a vial of sacred oil in the ruins of the temple.
He would need eight to complete the ritual.
“Miraculously”, that contained in the tiny container is renewed and allows it to provide for the eight days of purification Hanoukka, (pronounced “ranouka”) is one of the major Jewish holidays of the year.
It is celebrated on the 25th of the month of kislev of this year 5783 of the Jewish calendar.
As a family, it's…
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