Hanukkah, a new established festival.

To fully understand the holiday of Hanukkah as we know it today, it is essential to trace its origins. In the previous article, we explored the early years of this celebration after the Jewish victory led by the Maccabees. Initially embraced with great enthusiasm, especially following the impact of the Dedication days, over time the Maccabean family (Hasmoneans) not only took leadership of the government but also assumed the role of the high priest. As a result, many began to dissociate from them, as recounted in some of the Qumran manuscripts.

During this period, different sects emerged, each naturally aligning themselves or not with the new festival of Hanukkah. The Sadducees and Essenes did not observe it, while the Pharisees were the only ones to adopt it. In Jesus’ time, the Pharisees were highly esteemed among the people, which meant that even though other sects did not celebrate the festival, they could not avoid noticing that the majority of the nation did. Thus, celebrating this festival automatically identified a person with the Pharisaic sect, even if they were not officially part of it.

The destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem in 70 AD led the leading Pharisaic sages, recognized within their own sect and known as rabbis, to convene in the city of Yavne. There they decided to compile the essence of their oral tradition and what distinguished them from other sects, along with documenting recent historical events that justified or highlighted their prominence. Clearly, they faced a monumental challenge: adapting their practices in light of the reality that there was no longer a Temple and therefore no sacrificial system. Thus, they had no choice but to reinvent Pharisaism entirely. This included adopting a more universal name, “Judaism,” appointing local leadership universally as “Rabbi” (previously an honorary title), and transferring and formalizing liturgy from the Temple to the synagogue. While they updated aspects of the divine festivals (mo’adim), they did not need to alter the man-made festivals (hagim) but rather explain them in greater detail, as they were not dependent on Temple service but were previously only part of oral tradition.

Like all rabbinic festivals, Hanukkah from its inception contained profound symbolic significance directly associated with the events surrounding Antiochus IV. Below, we will delve into its most important details:

The eight days that marked the miracle of the continuously burning menorah, even though there was only enough consecrated oil for one day, underscore several aspects of the festival: (1) It celebrates the divine miracle in protecting the Jewish people; (2) It signifies the divine light that, reaching all, guides toward correct worship of God by lighting lights in a place visible to all neighbors; (3) It defines the festival’s eight-day duration; (4) It establishes eight main lights that are lit, one per day.

When King Antiochus decided to eradicate Jewish culture and banned pilgrimage to the Temple, many women, desiring to continue observing the Sabbath (Shabbat) and preserve as many customs as possible, symbolically turned their tables into mini-temples. Hence, the celebration revolves around the home. The food, family celebrations, and guests reflect the importance of unity and the freedom granted by the Lord.

Moreover, while not anticipating that the menorah would play a significant role in this festival’s history, women devised a makeshift menorah or simply arranged lamps in an order reminiscent of the original on their table. However, not wanting anything to replace the authentic, they decided on an eight-lamp configuration, plus an additional one used for lighting. Therefore, during Hanukkah, a candelabrum called a Hanukkiah is used, with one light being lit each night until all eight days are celebrated. In other words, there is one light that is lit every night, and from it, the other eight are successively lit. This symbolizes the idea that God can ignite a light in our hearts and simultaneously cause it to multiply and spread around us, reaching to the ends of the earth.

The significant role played by oil in this story is represented by the sweets consumed during these days, mainly those cooked in oil, such as: bimuelos or fritters, which are fried dough balls sprinkled with sugar or doused in syrup; gozinaki, a sweet made of nuts and honey; kubanet, similar to French toast; sufganiyot, jelly-filled doughnuts covered in crystallized sugar; and latkes, potato pancakes seasoned with spices and served with sweet-sour sauce. While culinary traditions may vary by region and community, they allude to the sweetness of witnessing the divine miracle of the salvation of their people and the Light produced by His anointing.

The holiday also serves as an educational tool through games, especially targeted at children, akin to a traditional summer school organized by evangelical churches. Each night presents different games, with particular emphasis on the dreidel game. What is the origin of this custom in the celebration of Hanukkah? Community educators covertly used the dreidel, known in Hebrew as Sevivon, to instruct children for their Bar Mitzvah (the Torah or Pentateuch learning from birth until the end of puberty). The dreidel has four sides, each with a letter (N, G, H, CH, which are some of the most common letters at the beginning of Torah verses). When it landed on a side, both participants engaged in a dialogue reciting Torah texts from memory related to the letter facing up. This way, Greek soldiers and Jewish informants were unaware of the children’s activities. Additionally, teachers would give them coins to simulate gambling, adding a playful and educational element to Hanukkah.

In summary, the holiday of Hanukkah transcends the limitations of time and borders, commemorating the divine miracle that protected its people and the spreading of His Light amid the oppression of darkness and the Evil One. In the next article, we will explore the celebration of Hanukkah in the context of Jesus’ life and how this festival came to anticipate and announce His coming and ministry.

Author: Dr. Liber Aguiar