What is the proper response to Happy Hanukkah?
The best response to Happy Chanukah? “Thank you.”
Which is correct Hanukkah or Chanukah?
The answer is that both are considered correct, though Hanukkah is the most widely used spelling, while Chanukah is more traditional. In addition, more than 20 other variations are recorded. Why so many spellings? Transliteration.
Can you say Happy Hanukkah on Christmas?
It’s safe, easy to use, and doesn’t create confusion. So regardless of your celebration style or religious orientation, if someone wishes you a Merry Christmas on December 23rd, 24th, and 25th please do not be offended. That is not the time for a philosophical debate.
Why is Hanukkah spelled 2 different ways?
The answer lies in Classical Hebrew, which used the dagesh to indicate the intensification (doubling) of a consonant. So the כּ in Classical Hebrew really did sound like two k’s pronounced in quick succession, hence the kk in some English spellings.
What does sameach mean in English?
Wikipedia. Sameach. “Sameyakh” (Hebrew script: שמח meaning “happy” in Hebrew) was the Israeli entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000.
What is a Purim greeting?
The proper greeting for people celebrating Purim is “happy Purim,” or chag Purim sameach in Hebrew. The phrase Chag sameach means “happy holiday” and can be used for any joyous Jewish holiday. But on Purim specifically, its usage is special, according to Krasner.
What is the meaning of Hanukkah Sameach?
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 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.
How do you write Happy Hanukkah in Hebrew?
חַג חֲנוּכָּה שַׂמֵחַ or Hanukkah Sameach literally means “Happy Hanukkah” in Hebrew. It’s always an appropriate greeting for the holiday.
What is the Hebrew word for Hanukkah?
The Hebrew word Chanukah means “dedication,” and this holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. To commemorate these events, the annual holiday of Hanukkah was created.
What is the meaning of Menorah?
The menorah—“lamp stand” in Hebrew—has been the pre-eminent symbol of Jews and Judaism for millennia. It is the oldest continuously used religious symbol in Western civilization. Since biblical times, the seven-branched menorah has symbolized Judaism.
Where is the original menorah?
The seven-branched menorah was originally found in the wilderness sanctuary and then later in the Temple in Jerusalem and was a popular motif of religious art in antiquity.
What do the 8 days of Hanukkah stand for?
The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt.
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. According to strict Jewish law, a Hanukkiah should have eight candleholders of the same height and a ninth branch that is set higher than the rest.
Why is there 9 candles in Menorah?
Light the Menorah The centerpiece of the Hanukkah celebration is the hanukkiah or menorah, a candelabra that holds nine candles. Eight candles symbolize the number of days that the Temple lantern blazed; the ninth, the shamash, is a helper candle used to light the others.
What does the 7 candles in a menorah stand for?
The seven lamps allude to the branches of human knowledge, represented by the six lamps inclined inwards towards, and symbolically guided by, the light of God represented by the central lamp. The menorah also symbolizes the creation in seven days, with the center light representing the Sabbath.
How many candles are on a 7 or 9 menorah?
A seven branch menorah must be part of every Jewish home and lit as sign of enlightenment and symbol to temple menorah. A Kosher Hanukah menorah is when 8 candle holders are in one line with a ninth Shamash, out of placed in height or position on the 9 branched menorah.