Hanukkah!

[Luis G]

Is it a whole week or what?

I'm asking 'cause I really have no idea about those traditions and I noticed too many "happy hanukkah" in the calendar.

 

[Uki Chick]

8 Days.

 

[Luis G]

So what does this tradition means? I think it is a jewish thing, but that's as far as I can tell.

 

[highwayman]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Hanukkah&btnG=Google+Search

 

[Uki Chick]

Yes, it's a jewish thing. You're suppose to receive gifts every day, and you light a candle every night. It's the festival of lights.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Hope that helps!

 

[Luis G]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Hanukkah&btnG=Google+Search

Yeah I know how to use google. I wanted to read the personal views of the members in here. Otherwise there's no point in the existance of forums.

 

[FluerVanderloo]

I'm having my first Hanukkah this year, and Brian is teaching me a lot about it. I just found out about gelt, the Menorah and its purpose, and the dreidel. It's all interesting stuff.

After Hanukkah I get to have my first Pesach (Passover).

Judaism is something I never knew a thing about until I met him, and I really enjoy learning everything I can. In a year or two I want to learn Hebrew (at the very least, enough to get me through holiday blessings). I already know a little bit of Yiddish, and I can kind of do the "Ch" sound, like in chutzpah and Chanukkah, but I can't say "tookus" (spelling is bad there).

 

[Uki Chick]

When I was with the ex, his family had one party with the whole family, we ate like pigs, exchanged gifts and that was about it. It all depends of the families and how religious they are. There's also a song you sing when lighting the candles and all.

 

[FluerVanderloo]

Brian's family isn't orthodox, but we still plan to have a Menorah out at the apartment. The last night of Hanukkah, we're going to his mom's house (his dad is a gentile) to exchange gifts and all, but she is coming along with him and his dad to my mother's house Christmas Eve.

My mom is going to meet his mom. Should be interesting to say the least.

In any case, I'm glad she wanted to come along and spend time with friends and family.

 

[Uki Chick]

You don't have to be orthodox to have a menorah. My ex was reform and they had a menorah at the house.

Good luck learning hebrew Fluer. I picked up some of the main prayers and all just by listening at the holidays, but never bothered to learn the language. Three languages was enough already for me.

 

[spike]

I kinda see it like this. Once there were Winter Festivals that many cultures celebrated. Late December was Winter Solstice.

At some point someone declared that Jesus was born on December 25th instead of far more likely dates and the christian winter holiday gradually grew in prominence and was associated with feasting and debauchery.

Protestants protested the festival and Catholics responded associating the Winter Festival with religion even more. There were riots.

Since the idea of a Winter Festival for all cultures was replaced with a christian religious holiday, many gifts started to be exchanged between christians, and the jewish kids felt left out.

Jewish people responded by taking what was once a minor holiday (Hanukkah) and elevating it's status so they could have a winter celebration again.

Hannukkah is a story about some people who only had enough lamp oil for a day but miraculously the oil lasted for 8 days.