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Chanukah (Continued) - חנוכה

Traditions:

       Dreidel      
  1. Lighting the Chanukkiah – men, women and children do this. Women have a particular obligation to light the candles in honour of Judith, whose brave deeds, assisted in the military victory of Chanukah (see story below).
  2. Eating latkes and doughnuts as the oil used for frying them reminds us of the miracle of the oil burning for eight days
  3. Spinning the dreidel.  This four sided spinning top has the Hebrew letters nun, gimel, hay and shin printed on each side.  The letters are the initials for the phrase Nes Dadol Hayah Sham, which means ‘a great miracle happened there’.  In Israel, the shin on the dreidel is replaced with a pay, the first letter of the word poh.  This changes the phrase to mean “A great miracle happened here”Each person playing starts with a pile of nuts, pennies, sweets or similar.  Before each spin of the dreidel, each person puts an item in the middle.  If the dreidel lands with the nun side up, nothing happens and the next player spins.  If it lands with gimel side up, the spinner wins everything in the middle, then the players have to replenish the stock of prizes before the next spin.  If it lands with hay side up, the spinner takes half of the prize and if it lands with shin/pay side up, the spinner adds something to the prize. The origin of this game is not known for sure, but it is believed that the dreidel was used to trick the authorities when Torah Study was forbidden.  To avoid being caught studying, the Jews would spin dreidels to pretend they were gambling.
  4. Giving ‘Chanukah Gelt’ (chocolate money) to children
  5. Exchanging gifts

Personal Renewal
The two miracles represent a reaffirmation of freedom (the victory of the Maccabees gave Jews back their right to practice their faith, and a recommitment to spiritual quest, with the rededication of the temple (the word Chanukah means dedication). 
Chanukah also gives us the opportunity to think about our needs and those of other people and rekindle or renew our commitment to helping ourselves and others lead more fulfilling lives.

 

 

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