Many Similarities Between Christmas And Hanukkah Traditions

Christmas and Hanukkah both have their own sets of traditions, in which Christian and Jewish people, respectively, participate. According to the Jewish Hanukkah story, Maccabees and his people went to the temple and cleaned and repaired it.

The temple had been looted and destroyed during the Maccabees revolt. After the repairs and cleaning was done, the people wanted to rededicate the temple. They had to light the Hanukkah menorah for the rededication ceremony.

However, there was only a small flask of oil available that would only burn for one night. They decided to light the menorah. The oil kept burning for eight days, just enough time for them to get more oil.

This miracle is commemorated by the Jewish people by lighting candles on the Hanukkah Menorah for each day of Hanukkah, which is eight days. Christmas, on the other hand, is the Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus.

While holiday foods may be traditional, you do not have to participate in Christmas and Hanukkah to enjoy them. One Hanukkah traditional food is jelly doughnuts, which do not have a hole but are very popular in Israel.

The doughnuts are called sufganiyot and are sold over the month before Hanukkah begins. To make the doughnuts, one drops the dough into hot oil without shaping it. The result is a funny and odd shaped doughnut that is then covered in powdered cinnamon or sugar.

While these doughnuts are not traditional in the Christmas holiday, cookies can be found in great abundance during the Christian celebration.

For both Christmas and Hanukkah, people exchange gifts and cards as part of their celebrations. Many traditions are largely celebrated within both the Hanukkah and Christmas holidays.

Both are religious holidays, however Christmas is also celebrated by individuals who do not participate in the religious traditions. For many, Christmas is more of a cultural celebration.

To read more Many Similarities Between Christmas And Hanukkah Traditions

The Many Different Traditions Of Hanukkah And Christmas

Two popular holidays, Hanukkah and Christmas are observed very differently. The Hanukkah holiday is observed for eight days by the Jewish people in commemoration of the victory of Maccabees and the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem.

The Christmas holiday, however, is observed for one day, December 25th. Hanukkah comes on the 25th day of Kislev, or in the third month on the Hebraic calendar, which is usually in late December according to the Gregorian calendar.

Other names that depict this festival include: Feast of Maccabees, Festival of Lights and Feast of Dedication. The word "Hanukkah" means dedication in Hebrew. Friends and families partake in Hanukkah gift giving on every day of the eight-day celebration.

During the Hanukkah holiday, there are many traditions that are followed. One of them is the dreidel, which is a four-sided spinning top. The spinning top was a popular decoy for Jews during the religious persecutions when Antiochus was ruling.

When they assembled to study the Torah, they had to be very careful. If a soldier appeared, they would pretend that they were playing with it in order to avoid persecution.

Hanukkah and Christmas share a lot in their history, celebrations and traditions. Traditional religious celebrations are an important part of the Christmas holiday and participated in by many.

Hanukkah gift giving and exchanging cards are part of this holiday. Parents give their children gifts as an incentive to study the Torah, while adults give each other gifts and cards to strengthen their relationships.

Christmas cards, like Hanukkah cards, are also a very popular way to spread the holiday spirit. Both Hanukkah and Christmas are steeped in tradition.

To read more The Many Different Traditions Of Hanukkah And Christmas