Hanukkah etymology

Etymology:

The word "Hanukkah" is derived from the Hebrew word "Hanukhah," meaning "dedication" or "inauguration."

Meaning:

Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after its defilement by the Seleucid Greeks during the Maccabean Revolt in the 2nd century BCE.

Origin:

The historical events that led to the establishment of Hanukkah occurred during the reign of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. In 168 BCE, Antiochus banned the practice of Judaism, ordered the construction of an altar to the Greek god Zeus in the Temple in Jerusalem, and sacrificed a pig on the altar. These actions outraged the Jewish people and sparked the Maccabean Revolt.

Led by Judas Maccabeus, the Jewish rebels fought against the Seleucid forces for three years. In 165 BCE, they recaptured Jerusalem and cleansed the Temple of its desecrations. The Temple was then rededicated, and this event is celebrated as Hanukkah.

The festival of Hanukkah is observed by lighting a menorah, a nine-branched candelabrum, each night for eight nights. Other traditions associated with Hanukkah include eating fried foods (latkes and sufganiyot), playing dreidel, and singing traditional Hanukkah songs.

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