Unveiling the Meaning of the Hanukkah Menoraha: A Hanukkah menorah, also called a Hanukkiah, is a candelabrum that holds nine lights. It is used during the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. But what does it mean?
Unveiling the Meaning of the Hanukkah Menorah
The seven-branched candelabrum has nine lights on each branch, one for each day of the holiday. One light will be lit on the first day, two on the second, three on the third, and so on. In short, each light stands for a different day of the event.
A shamash is the candle that sits on top of the menorah in the middle. It lights the other candles, which are holy lights. A lot of the time, people put candles in front of or near fireplaces, doors, and windows.
Traditional menorahs honor and remember the seven-branched menorah that was in the Temple in Jerusalem, Israel. The celebration is based on an old story about how the Jews were able to stay alive and keep going.
Along with the Star of David or the shape of a temple, the candlestick is one of the most well-known Jewish symbols.
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Why do we celebrate Hanukkah?
Today is a holiday to remember when the Second Temple in Jerusalem was reopened in the second century BCE. The story goes that the Maccabees were a small group of Jewish rebels who fought against the harsh Seleucid Empire, which forbade Jewish religious practices.
When they won and took back the Temple, they only had enough ritually pure olive oil to light the candlestick (a seven-branched candelabrum) for one day. Amazingly, it burned for eight days until they could make more oil.
People get together with their families to enjoy the victory and wonder of the oil. They eat traditional foods like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts), give and receive gifts, play dreidel (a spinning top game), and tell the story of Hanukkah again.
