What is Hanukkah and how is it celebrated?
Hanukkah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew, begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar and usually falls in November or December. Often called the Festival of Lights, the holiday is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, traditional foods, games and gifts.
Is it OK to say Happy Hanukkah?
What is the proper greeting for Hanukkah? To wish someone a Happy Hanukkah, say “Hanukkah Sameach!” (Happy Hanukkah) or simply “Chag Sameach!” (Happy Holiday). Or if you want to show off your Hebrew skills, say “Chag Urim Sameach!” (urim means “lights”).
What do you do for the first day of Hanukkah?
The first night of Hanukkah, Jews recite three blessings and two on the remaining days. After lighting the menorah, Jews will sing Hanerot Halalu, a hymn with many variations across cultures. But the main theme consists of addressing the reasons for lighting the menorah and giving thanks and praise to God.
How do we celebrate Hanukkah each day?
Each night at sundown, family and friends gather to light another candle on the hanukkiah. Songs and prayers are often said, and then it’s time to eat! To celebrate the history of the holiday many traditional dishes are cooked using lots of oil. One of the most popular Hanukkah foods is the latke (say “LOT-kuh”).
What are the 3 Hanukkah blessings?
The traditional Hanukkah candle lighting service consists of saying all three blessings on the first night, and only the first and second blessings for the seven nights to follow. Transliteration: Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.
What are the three Hanukkah prayers?
(to be said prior to lighting the candles) Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. Blessed are you Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who has made us holy through God’s commandments, and commanded us to light the Hanukkah candles.
What are the 3 traditional colors for Hanukkah?
Hanukkah paraphernalia tends to come in blue and white or blue and silver. The most obvious explanation for blue and white being the colors associated with Hanukkah is the Israeli flag, designed by the Zionist movement in 1891 and officially adopted in 1948.
What is the first night of Hanukkah called?
Chanukah
What is the prayer to light the menorah?
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b-mitzvotav, v-tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. Blessed are you, Our God, Ruler of the Universe, who makes us holy through Your commandments, and commands us to light the Hanukkah lights.
Do you light Hanukkah candles left right?
A: The candles are lighted in the opposite direction from how they are placed in the chanukiah. They are lighted from left to right, so that the newest candle is always lighted first. The newest candle is lit first. (On the Shabbat of Hanukkah, kindle the Hanukkah lights first and then the Shabbat candles.)
What do you say when lighting the menorah?
Saying the Blessings Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech HaOlam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.
Which candle is lit first on the menorah?
Step 3: Light the Shamash The candle that is raised or in the center of the menorah is the shamash (helper candle). It’s the one you use to light the other candles. Light it first.
Why does the menorah have 7 branches?
Since biblical times, the seven-branched menorah has symbolized Judaism. For many Jews in antiquity, the menorah’s seven branches represented the five visible planets, plus the sun and the moon, and its rounded branches suggested their trajectories across the heavens.
What is the difference between a 7 and 9 candle menorah?
A menorah, which has only seven candleholders, was the lamp used in the ancient holy temple in Jerusalem — now a symbol of Judaism and an emblem of Israel. A Hanukkiah, however, has nine candlesticks — one for each night of Hanukkah and an extra one to light the others.
Is menorah in the Bible?
The menorah is first mentioned in the biblical book of Exodus (, according to which the design of the lamp was revealed to Moses by God on Mount Sinai.
Is Saturn mentioned in the Bible?
Except for Earth, Venus and Saturn are the only planets expressly mentioned in the Old Testament. Isaiah 14:12 is about one Helel ben Shahar, called the King of Babylon in the text. Helel (“morning star, son of the dawn”) is translated as Lucifer in the Vulgate Bible but its meaning is uncertain.
What was Baal the god of?
Baal, god worshipped in many ancient Middle Eastern communities, especially among the Canaanites, who apparently considered him a fertility deity and one of the most important gods in the pantheon. As such, Baal designated the universal god of fertility, and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth.
Who helped Jesus wipe the idol of Baal in Israel?
Book of the Law According to the Bible, King Josiah then changed his form of leadership entirely, entering into a new form of covenant with the Lord. He wiped out all of the pagan cults that had formed within his land.
How did Jehu destroy the prophets of Baal?
In control of Samaria, he invited the worshippers of Baal to a ceremony, trapped and killed them. After that, he destroyed their idols and temple, and turned the temple into a latrine.
What happened to Jehu in the Bible?
Jehu, Hebrew Yehu, king (c. Ahab, son of King Omri, was eventually killed in a war with Assyria; during Jehoram’s rule, Jehu accepted the invitation of the prophet Elisha, Elijah’s successor, to lead a coup to overthrow the dynasty of Omri (II Kings 9–10).