What is Hanukkah, why is it celebrated and what do people do?
The Jewish festival of lights is also known as Chanukah.
Police are to increase patrols at Hanukkah events after an antisemitic terror attack in Sydney.
The shooting has been declared a terrorist incident targeting a Jewish celebration at a park next to Bondi Beach.
The Jewish festival of lights, also known as Chanukah, began on Sunday evening, with celebrations planned across the UK in the coming days.
Here are some details of why it is celebrated and what takes place:
– When is it celebrated?
Hanukkah runs for eight days and is one of the most popular Jewish religious customs.
It always falls between late November and early January but the date changes each year.
This year the festival runs from December 14 to 22.
Hanukkah reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates, in particular, the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival.
– Who celebrates it and why?
It is celebrated to commemorate an occasion more than 2,000 years ago when the Jews won the right to practise their religion freely. The Holy Land was then run by the Syrian Greeks who issued decrees against all Jewish rituals.
There was a successful uprising and the Jewish community regained its independence, and they were able to take control of the temple.
An oil lamp was lit in the temple. The candle should have burned for one day as there was only enough oil to last that long, but it is said to have burned for eight days.
This is one of the reasons why Hanukkah lasts for eight days and that light is a key part of the festival.
It is a Jewish principle that a little bit of light can drive out much darkness.
The lighting of the menorah lamp is a connection to the temple in Jerusalem.
– What happens during the festival?
It is a time when people give gifts to family members.
Chocolate coins are given out as a way of trying to increase happiness.
Foods on the menu include special fried dishes used to commemorate the oil miracle.
They include doughnuts and latkes – a traditional dish of fried grated potatoes.
There is also a special game that adults and children play together involving a four-sided spinning top called a driedel, which has a letter on each face.
It is a way to celebrate a rich history and have fun with friends and family.
There are also public candle lighting ceremonies across the world, in town centres and people’s homes.
At this time, there is also a particular focus on the festival being celebrated among people in groups rather than as individuals. The wider community is often invited to take part.
