Erev Hannukah is here!
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Happy Hannukah, everyone! Today at sundown begins the first day of Hannukah, the Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Israel and the eight days that followed, when the Maccabees lit the temple with a container of olive oil that was only meant to last for one day. They didn’t have to get any overnight loans of oil to keep the lamp lit in the temple.
Today is Erev Hannukah. It’s easiest to think of Erev Hannukah as Christmas Eve. Many people who celebrate Christmas begin the festivities in the evening on Christmas Eve. Today is Erev Hannukah and Hannukah festivities begin at sundown. Every day after that is Hannukah, until sundown Dec. 19.
Holiday spirit
It’s tough to learn everything there is to know about Hannukah if you haven’t grown up celebrating it. However, much like people who celebrate Christmas enjoy being wished a Merry Christmas, wishing people a Happy Hannukah never hurts. Spreading “happy” anything is always good, right? My Jewish friends appreciate that I educated myself about when Hannukah falls, and they even like it when I ask questions about Hannukah.
A lot of people are worried about coming across as ignorant because they don’t know a lot about Hannukah. However, if someone asked you a question about Christmas, would you be offended? I certainly hope not! Just remember, it’s better to ask questions than to assume you know everything about Hannukah or to trivialize and write off a holiday that’s important to someone.
Who should I tell Happy Hannukah?
I think you should tell everyone Happy Hannukah. It never hurts to say it, right? Sure, not everyone celebrates Hannukah, but how many times has a stranger wished you a Merry Christmas? I do know some Jewish people who are a little annoyed by being wished a Merry Christmas all the time, but it’s because they are never wished Happy Hannukah.
I think if it were more common to hear “Happy Hannukah” people would stop being irritated by the whole Christmas thing. After all, everyone just wants their beliefs recognized and respected, right? People celebrate Christmas for all kinds of reasons, and a lot of people celebrate it for non-religious reasons. Believe it or not, a lot of Jewish people celebrate Hannukah for non-religious reasons. Just as many families celebrate Christmas simply because it’s tradition, the same can be true for Hannukah. So spread the joy and wish everyone a Happy Hannukah this year!
