For Jews around the world, and for myself, the holiday season means the celebration of Hanukkah. Many Americans know this as the lighting of candles, eight nights of glorious gift-giving and receiving, and potato latkes. But much of Hanukkah has been Americanized by centuries of misconception, and shockingly, by Christmas customs. Yes, these things about Hanukkah are all true, but they are not the full story. Moreover, many Hanukkah customs practiced in America are modeled after customs performed on Christmas. For this reason, Hanukkah has changed dramatically over the decades. Traditionally, Hanukkah is a holiday that does not necessarily include eight nights of gift giving, but instead celebrates the miracle that occurred in 164 BCE. It is intended as a celebration of the victory of the Jewish rebels, called the Maccabees, who fought for the freedom of Jewish practice and restoration of their destroyed temple, which was defiled by King Antiochus IV. The miracle that's remembered is how a few drops of oil burned for a full eight nights; it was under this light that the Jewish people were able to rebuild their temple. Thus, candles are lit for eight nights, oily foods are made in commemoration of the oil used, and Jews typically play dreidel and other gambling games, just as the Maccabees did. Nowhere in this story was there ever mention of gift-giving or receiving. If anything was given at all, it was money (gelt), or celebratory foods. However, with the increased immigration of Jews into America in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Hanukkah reached the states, and was transformed in order to assimilate into the American culture of gift-giving around the holidays. By the 1890’s, Christmas was rapidly becoming a national holiday, rather than a Christian custom, and in hopes to “shed their European ways,” and adapt to their new home, many Jews began exchanging gifts as well. Another reason that Hanukkah decorations and gifts became popularized was in efforts to include Jewish children in American holiday cheer, and create a more inclusive holiday experience for children. Thus, Hanukkah has changed and evolved over the centuries, and there are definite differences between traditional Hanukkah customs and the American version of the holiday. But regardless of if or how you celebrate it, Crescent Valley is wishing you a very happy Hanukkah! Chag Sameach! (“Happy Holidays” in the traditional Jewish language of Hebrew!) Citations Feldberg, M. (2020, October 26). How Christmas Transformed Hanukkah in America. Retrieved December 11, 2020, from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hanukkah-american-style/ - Maya Schwartz If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
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