In 2010, Hanukkah will begin on the evening of 1st December. While many people think that Hannukah is the same as Christmas, it is in fact commemorating an altogether different moment in history. In 164BC the Macabees were victorious over the Greeks, and the holiday is taken to commemorate this event. The temple was “rededicated” at this time and famously, a single day’s worth of oil was able to burn for eight days.
Because of this, the theme of light is important and the festival is often referred to as the ‘festival of lights’ or ‘feast of lights’. Each night, one more candle in a special candelabra is lit. In total there are 9 candles, which commemorate the days that the oil in the temple burned for.
One popular custom is to eat fried food at this festival. This is another reference to the oil used in the temple. Pancakes are quite often eaten – the traditional recipe containing potatoes and served with apple sauce.
Perhaps because of the festival’s proximity to Christmas, Jews now quite often give each other gifts during Hannukah. However, it is not normal for gifts to be exchanged with anyone but other family members.
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