Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Fall Fancies - Hanukkah Hanukiah

Today is the first full day of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights.

While most of us in the United States are preparing for Christmas, the Jewish people of this country have been getting ready to celebrate Hanukkah.

In Binghamton, there is a wonderful museum in a historic mansion that opens for a month every year, this year from November 15 to December 27.  Run by volunteers, Hanukkah House is free (but donations are accepted).   You can search my blog for other posts about Hanukkah House, such as this one.

One thing that Hanukkah House displays each year is a wonderful display of hanukiah.

A hanukiah is a nine-branched candelabrum lit during the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah, which commemorates a miracle that happened over 2,000 years ago.  It differs from a menorah in that the 9th candle holder is held higher than, or is aligned with, the other 8 candles. 
Haukiah and menorahs come in many sizes.  Some are beautiful works of art.  Others are homemade.
They can be deeply religious, or whimsical.
Some are oriented towards children.
The oil of the original menorah (see yesterday's post for a brief description of the holiday, and this blog post for the whole nine yards, so to speak) was only supposed to last for one day, but the menorah kept burning for the eight days it took to get a new supply.  Now, many of these use candles (some are electric) instead of oil.  This one is using beeswax candles.  The candles can be white, or of many colors.

 The ninth candle, or the shamash, is used to light the other candles.  On the first day, my tradition dictates one candle plus the shamash is lit.  On the second night, two candles, and the shamash, and so forth.

The candles are lit from right to left.  By the eighth day, all eight candles are lit by the shamash and it is a beautiful sight.  While lighting the candles, two prayers (three on the first night) are recited or sung.

A festival of lights is what we need in today's world - a symbol of the victory of light over te force of darkness.
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11 comments:

  1. songbird's crazy worldDecember 13, 2017 at 7:48 AM

    I love your Hanukkah House posts. Happy Hanukkah, Alana.

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  2. Sue McPeakDecember 13, 2017 at 9:10 AM

    What an interesting and educational post/posts. Thanks! Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas.

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  3. LeanneDecember 13, 2017 at 9:11 AM

    It all sounds so lovely - traditions like this have such significance and I love that there are deeper meanings to what we do to memorialize special occasions.

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  4. Cerebrations.bizDecember 13, 2017 at 10:44 AM

    Our tradition dictates the lighting of the newest candle first- and then the candles from right to left. As we look- not as it looks to the outsiders (since we post the Chanukiya in the bay window or in front of the glass storm door.

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  5. AnonymousDecember 13, 2017 at 11:44 AM

    Nice menorahs! Now that I'm an empty nester I forget to light the candles each night.

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  6. Liz A.December 13, 2017 at 12:59 PM

    And a festival of lights is perfect at this time of year, as we delve towards the winter solstice. Happy Hanukkah.

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  7. Karen @BakingInATornado.comDecember 13, 2017 at 1:22 PM

    The menorah I'm currently using is one I brought for my grandmother in Israel and it was passed back to me when she died. I think of her as I light it.

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  8. RajlakshmiDecember 13, 2017 at 8:45 PM

    It's so wonderful to read about a different tradition. The candles look beautiful. Please share a photo of how they look after the 8th day.

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  9. shalz75December 13, 2017 at 10:08 PM

    I havent really heard of Hannukah in my part of the world so its interesting to hear about this! Wish you a very festive season Alana!

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  10. Rebecca OlkowskiDecember 14, 2017 at 12:28 AM

    Happy Hanukkah! I'll be going over to my friend's house that I've known since high school and we always do Hannukah and Passover there.

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  11. outlawgardenerDecember 15, 2017 at 10:24 AM

    Happy Hanukkah! You're so right, we do need to celebrate the victory of light over the force of darkness.

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