Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights which is celebrated at a fixed time every year. It is a popular Jewish festival that lasts for eight days. It is basically celebrated every year to commemorate a miracle. Since it is celebrated on the last days of the calendar every year, it sometimes coincides with Christmas and sometimes it can be closer to Thanksgiving day.
On this day Jewish gather with their families and commemorate a special day. But don’t you think that the day is limited to just one date, it continues for 8 days. However, perhaps you don’t know the details about it. No worries, pay attention to this article, and you will get a complete idea about the day.
When is Hanukkah 2022?
The date of Hanukkah can change every year. So if you want to celebrate it then you need to know when it will be celebrated in the current year. In 2022 this wonderful 8 days will start from 18th December which will continue till 26th December. Basically this festival will start from the evening of 18th December and will end on the evening of 26th December after sunset.
But you must set the start and end time according to your local time. For many years the Jews wanted to burn ritual oil for 8 days to restore and purify the temple even though they did not have enough oil. But incredibly this oil burned for 8 days. Originally this day was coined around this miracle.
Why People Celebrate Hanukkah?
Many people want to know why Hanukkah is celebrated. This day was originally determined by the Hebrew calendar. But the date may change slightly every year. It is observed by people on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar which is based on the position of the sun and moon. The day is widely observed in various places including the United States.
This festival originated more than 2,000 years ago because of an event in Judea. Then the king of Syria forcefully ordered the Jews to abandon the Torah and worship the Greek gods. This encouraged the Jews to protest and seek to restore their temple because it had been desecrated by the Syrians. Jews plan to burn ritual oil for 8 days to consecrate their temple. But they did not have enough oil.
But surprisingly this oil burned for 8 days. The Jews believed that God was helping them because the lamps burned for 8 days with this insufficient oil to help them sanctify the temple. People have been commemorating the day since then year after year and it has a thousand year history. Although it is not declared a holiday, it is one of the holiest times for Jews.
How to Celebrate Hanukkah?
Hanukkah has various activities that people observe with joy and reverence. But they consider this day as a time of joy because they were able to save their religion. People wish each other on this day. Some people like to celebrate it like Christmas. On this day they give gifts to their loved ones and share food.
Besides, most of the food items are fried in oil. The reason for frying food in oil is to recall the history of Hanukkah when a small amount of oil kept the menorah burning for 8 days. That’s why people enjoy eating fried foods on this day. Besides, children are given chocolates as gifts.
The day is mainly celebrated by people with their families through various activities. Apart from fried food, they also like dairy food and prepare a variety of recipes. These include a variety of items including sufganiot, applesauce, rugelach pastry that they prepare in house.
