Holiday Party - History of Hanukkah

I’m sure y’all know about Hanukkah. And when you think of Hanukkah, you probably primarily think of dreidels and menorahs. While talking with my friend Jessie about Hanukkah, and how she celebrates, she started talking about the reasons behind why her family does some of the things they do. Which got me to thinking…where did these symbols of Hanukkah come from? And so I decided to do some research. This is what I found, and so I wanted to share with y'all as it's pretty fascinating stuff, plus I think it's nice to think about the roots of these holidays. (Btw, I just wanted to let you guys all know, this is basically the brief Cliff Notes version of this, so I’ve also included some links to do some more research if you’d like. I used various sources including my World Religion notes, Wikipedia, and the links listed to research. I’m sharing this here as a fun facts section, but I am NOT an expert on the subject, so I may have mixed something up, so please take this with a grain of salt).

Backstory on Hanukkah - So, back around 167 B.C.E, the Jews rebelled against their oppressors (Maccabean Revolt) and against all odds, won. When they went to their holy Temple, they discovered that it had been pillaged and damaged. When they went to rededicate the Temple, they lit the great lamp (which must stay lit). However, though they could only find enough oil to last a single day, the oil miraculously lasted for eight days. To remember this victory and miracle, the Jews celebrate Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, for eight days every year (during which they light the menorah).

To learn more, visit:  History of Hanukkah   |   Holidays: Hanukkah

Menorahs - Now, the menorah has been around in one form or another ever since the First Temple was built in King Soloman’s time. However, the original menorahs were destroyed along with the First Temple in 586 B.C.E. After this, the Second Temple was built, with a new, gold menorah placed inside.

Alas, the Temple and the menorah inside were then destroyed again in 70 B.C.E. After all this, the menorah became an important symbol used to represent Jewish sovereignty and hope (as well as redemption).

Now, the menorah described originally had seven branches, but in order to preserve the holiness of the original, it was forbidden to use an exact replica of the original. Hence the eight-branched menorahs used today.

Like I said, this is a very, very brief synopsis of the history of the menorah. It’s very fascinating, and I highly recommend you go do some research on your own and read all about this part of history. Here’s one of the easiest sources I recommend starting with.

Dreidels – So, I (like many others) thought that the dreidel was a Jewish custom connected to Hanukkah. And while it is, you may be surprised to learn, it apparently wasn’t always so. Turns out, dreidels have been around and been used in various cultures for many centuries. From England to Germany, the dreidel was around before it was assimilated into the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah.

For more on dreidels, and to learn about all the detailed ideas on what the dreidels represent, visit this link (it’s a fascinating article).


Feel free to let me know what you think. Did you know this already? Did I screw something up? Let me know what you're thinking down below. Also, don't forget to enter the grand prize giveaway!