TO JOIN ME IN LIGHTING THE CHANUKAH MENORAH EVERY NIGHT OF CHANUKAH (DECEMBER 23-30) AND  GET YOUR GIF(T) EVERY NIGHT  GO HERE. YOU CAN ALSO TRY THE DREIDEL GAME  -  IT'S FUN!!! 

WHY DO WE CELEBRATE CHANUKAH?? 

HOW DO WE CELEBRATE CHANUKAH?? 

WHY DO WE GET GIFTS ON CHANUKAH?? 

ANTIOCHAS DECIDED THAT HE WOULD FORCE ALL OF THE PEOPLES UNDER HIS RULE TO "HELLENIZE".  HE OUTLAWED ALL OTHER RELIGIONS AND THEIR PRACTICES. 

THE SYRIAN ARMIES DESTROYED ALL HOUSES OF WORSHIP THAT WERE NOT HELLENIC, INCLUDING (OF COURSE) JEWISH TEMPLES. 

MANY JEWS OBEYED THE DECREE AND BEGAN TO FOLLOW THE HELLENIC WAY OF LIFE, HOWEVER AN OLD PRIEST (MATTHIAS) AND HIS FIVE SONS BEGAN A GUERRILLA WAR AGAINST THE SYRIANS AND THEIR JEWISH ALLIES. 

MATTHIAS DIED, LEAVING HIS SON, JUDAH THE MACCABEE IN CHARGE.  JUDAH AND HIS SMALL ARMY  FOUGHT MANY BATTLES WITH THE SYRIAN ARMIES, WINNING MOST OF THEM, AND FINALLY LIBERATING THE CITY OF JERUSALEM FROM SYRIAN RULE. 

THEY CLEANSED AND REDEDICATED THE TEMPLE.   WHEN IT WAS TIME TO LIGHT THE HOLY LIGHT THEY FOUND THAT ALL OF THE OIL   HAD BEEN DESTROYED.  THERE REMAINED ONLY A SMALL CRUSE OF OIL - ENOUGH TO LAST ONE DAY. 

THROUGH A GREAT MIRACLE, THE MENORAH REMAINED LIT FOR EIGHT DAYS AND EIGHT NIGHTS, LONG ENOUGH FOR NEW OIL TO BE PREPARED. 

WE CELEBRATE CHANUKAH TO REMEMBER THE VICTORY OF THE  MACCABEES - A SMALL ARMY WINNING AGAINST THE LARGE SYRIAN ARMY -  AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO CELEBRATE THE MIRACLE OF THE OIL. 

IT IS A TIME TO PRAISE GOD FOR THE DELIVERANCE OF THE FEW, OUT OF THE HANDS OF MANY, AND FOR THE TRIUMPH OF THE BELIEVERS OF GOD OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE WORSHIPPERS OF IDOLS. 

EACH NIGHT THE MENORAH (A CANDELABRA CONTAINING NINE CANDLES)  IS LIT.  ON THE FIRST NIGHT ONE CANDLE IS LIT, ON THE SECOND NIGHT TWO CANDLES AND SO ON UNTIL ALL EIGHT CANDLES ARE LIT ON THE EIGHTH NIGHT. THE CANDLES ARE LIT FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. 

THE NINTH CANDLE (THE SHAMUS) IS LIT EVERY NIGHT AND IS USED TO LIGHT THE OTHERS.  THE MENORAH IS  LIT IN THE EARLY EVENING AND BURNS ALL NIGHT. 

THE LIT MENORAH IS TRADITIONALLY  PLACED IN A WINDOW, TO LIGHT THE NIGHT FOR EVERYONE. 

ONCE THE TRADITION OF THE MENORAH LIGHTING IS DONE, THE CHILDREN RECEIVE GIFTS (OFTEN MONEY - CALLED CHANUKAH GELT) AND WE EAT THE EVENING MEAL. 

FRIED FOODS ARE THE ORDER OF THE DAY (POTATO LATKES AND JELLY DOUGHNUTS BEING THE MOST POPULAR) AGAIN TO REMIND US OF THE MIRACLE OF THE OIL. 

CHILDREN THEN PLAY WITH DREIDELS (TOPS)  WHICH HAVE FOUR HEBREW LETTERS ON THEM.  NUN, GIMMEL, HAY, SHEEN. 

THE LETTERS REPRESENT THE SAYING "NES GADOL HAYA SHAM" *A GREAT MIRACLE HAPPENED HERE.* 

THE REASON BEHIND THE GIFT GIVING IS THE GREAT REVERENCE THAT THE JEWISH PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS HAD FOR LEARNING.  DURING THE REIGN OF ANTIOCHAS, STUDYING THE WAY OF JEWISH LIFE WAS FORBIDDEN, HOWEVER THE CHILDREN WERE EXPECTED TO STUDY ANYWAY. 

IN REWARD FOR THE  SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THEIR NIGHTLY STUDIES, THEY WERE GIVEN MONEY, TO MOTIVATE THEM TO CONTINUE WITH A PRACTICE THAT WAS OFTEN DONE UNDER UNCOMFORTABLE CIRCUMSTANCES SO AS TO HIDE WHAT THEY WERE DOING FROM THE SYRIANS. 

THE CHILDREN HAD DREIDELS (TOPS) THAT THEY WOULD PLAY WITH IF THEIR PARENTS "SOUNDED THE ALARM" THAT THE SYRIANS WERE APPROACHING. 

AND SO TODAY, CHILDREN PLAY WITH DREIDELS AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CHANUKAH CELEBRATION, AND RECEIVE MONEY AND GIFTS EACH NIGHT, TO COMMEMORATE THE DAYS OF OLD. 

IF YOU WANT TO PLAY A GAME OF "CYBER DREIDEL" GO HERE. 

THIS YEAR CHANUKAH BEGINS ON DECEMBER 23, AND LASTS UNTIL DECEMBER 30.  TO LIGHT THE MENORAH AND GET YOUR GIF(T) EVERY NIGHT OF CHANUKAH - GO HERE.