Hanukkah Research Paper

Hanukkah, wondering what this holiday is? During Hanukkah, on each of the eight nights that Hanukkah is celebrated on, a candle is lit in a special menorah (candelabra) called a Hanukkiyah. There is a special ninth candle called the shammash or servant candle which is used to light the other candles.The Shammash, is often in the center of the other candles and has a higher position. On the first night one candle is lit, on the second night, two are lit until all the candles are lit on the eighth and final night of the festival. Traditionally they are lit from the left to right. A special blessing, thanking God, is said before or after lighting the candles and a special Jewish hymn is often sung. The menorah is put in the front of a window of

Around 200 B.C., Judea also known as the Land of Israel came under the control of Antiochus III, the Seleucid king of Syria, who allowed the Jews who lived there to continue practicing their religion. His son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, proved less benevolent: Ancient sources recount that he outlawed the Jewish religion and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. In 168 B.C., his soldiers descended upon Jerusalem, massacring thousands of people and desecrating the city’s holy Second Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs within its sacred walls. Hanukkah isn't only for Jews but, it has a deeper meaning to those who are Jewish. On the day of Hanukkah they sing many songs. One of the traditions is to sing songs after all the candles have been lit. One of their songs is “Oh Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah.” Hanukkah is a rabbinic holiday, meaning the rabbis proclaimed it a holiday after the Bible was completed. The obligations and restrictions that apply on biblical holidays, such as refraining from certain work, eating special meals and wearing festival clothing , don’t apply to Hanukkah. Hanukkah is a very special time for Jews and many other people around the