On Hannukah

One of the great peculiarities of Judaism is that it runs on a lunar calender. This has the effect of making Jewish holidays seemingly fall on random days. Whereas everyone knows that Christmas falls on December 25th, the date of Jewish holidays seems almost like a collective secret shared only amongst the chosen people. Many secular Jews are left wondering when the holidays are, leaving it up to our more religious brethren to remind them when, say, Yom Kippur is close. The use of a different calender serves as a further reminder of Jews' "chosen" status, even the date is something that illustrates the difference between Jew and Gentile. Moreover, Jewish holidays start at twilight, so they have a distinctly different rhythm.

This musing is inspired by the beginning of Hannukah, which started yesterday and is celebrated for an 8 day period. Hannukah celebrates the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire. The Seleucid's, a Hellenistic empire, sought to limit expressions of Jewish religion, particularly in the Second Temple, the center of Jewish life at the time. The story goes that once the Jews had won back the Temple, they needed to cleanse and rededicate it. The ceremony required eight days of continuously lit candles, and the Maccabbees only had enough oil for one day. In a great miracle the oil managed to last eight days and the temple was fit for Jewish worship. Interestingly, modern historians have speculated that the Seleucid's encroachment on Jewish ritual was caused by protestations from Hellenized Jews.

The schism between secular and religious Jews seems important given the importance Hannukah has taken on since the latter half of the 20th century. Hannukah traditionally calls for candle lighting and prayer, but recently, in response to the popularity of Christmas, gift giving has come into fashion. Certainly, Christmas wasn't always the commodified holiday it is today, but it is interesting that Hannukah's gift giving came about as a Jewish alternative to Christmas. Furthermore, Hannukah has taken on greater importance with the rise of Zionism and the creation of the Israeli state, because it's themes of national liberation and strength resonates with the current geopolitical reality.

While many historical Rabbis have downplayed the significance of Hannukah, it has become one of the most recognizable Jewish holidays. The Menorah is ubiquitously positioned next to Christmas trees, in a sign of interfaith hospitality. Unlike other Jewish holidays, which require long trips to Synagogue, Hannukah is a materialistic and fun holiday. Instead of rote prayer, gifts are exchanged and fried foods are eaten. Gifts and fried food, as evidenced by fastfood kids meals, are a recipe for commercial success, and Hannukah can be seen as another example of that truism.