December 26, 2022
Happy Hanukkah! I learned the traditions of this beautiful holiday years ago after wanting to learn more and invited to celebrate with friends. The Hebrew word for Chanukah means "dedication" and the holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. For those of you that don't quite know the meaning of Hanukkah, what a beautiful time of year to learn. Christ made sure He was in Jerusalem during Hanukkah, The Feast of Dedication, in John chapter 10.
Hanukkah is a Jewish festival lasting eight nights to commemorate how long the holy light burned. Jewish rebels fought for their freedom for three years and, victorious, reclaimed the holy temple in Jerusalem. Now to rededicate the temple, they needed oil to light the menorah but they could only find enough to keep the flames burning for one night. But miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days! Amen! There are six traditions to Celebrate the Festival of Lights - Lighting the Menorah, playing Dreidel, eating fried foods, Hanukkah Gelt ( refers to money given as presents during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. It is typically given to children and sometimes teachers, often in conjunction with the game of Dreidel. ) giving gifts and Hanukkah music! The eight days of Hanukkah include: Day 1: Honesty Day 2: Integrity Day 3: Respect Day 4: Personal Responsibility Day 5: Fairness Day 6: Caring Day 7: Social Responsibility Day 8: Character.
Shalom is the most common of all Jewish greetings, a Hebrew word that means hello, goodbye and peace. The appropriate response is aleichem shalom ("peace unto you"). All of these beautiful actions and terms create one of the most wonderful celebrations this time of year. I am always in awe of the cultural and creative things I've learned throughout the years. These lessons and stories contribute to my practice of tolerance, acceptance, knowledge
As we celebrate our different holiday traditions remember those that celebrate in a unique, holy and beautiful way. Look for Kwanzaa (coming soon) in December too. And from me and my family to you and yours... Happy Hanukkah and Shalom!
Night Two: The word is Our Light - Proverbs 6:23
Night Three: We Should Be a Light to Others - Matthew 5:16
Night Four: The Light of the Body is the Eye - Acts 26:18
Night Five: The Messiah is the Light of the World - John 1:4-5
Night Six: Paul Saw the Light - Acts 26: 16-18
Night Seven: If Christ is Your Light, You are No Longer in the Darkness of This World - 1 Peter 2:9
Night Eight: We Need to Shine - Philippians 2:14-16
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