{"id":684,"date":"2016-12-15T09:00:10","date_gmt":"2016-12-15T13:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/dcc\/?p=684"},"modified":"2024-08-28T12:23:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T16:23:50","slug":"hanukkah-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/dcc\/hanukkah-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Hanukkah 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"
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You can visit the world’s largest menorah on the Ellipse in Washington, DC. Photo: Ted Eytan (Flickr)<\/p><\/div>\n

We have host families from a wide variety of backgrounds and faiths; some host families celebrate Hanukkah, some celebrate Christmas, some celebrate Kwanzaa, and some celebrate more than one holiday or none at all. If you’re an au pair living with a host family who celebrates Hanukkah and you do not, I encourage you to take part and experience it with them. This can be a great opportunity for learning and culture sharing. I also encourage host families to ask their au pairs to share their holiday traditions and customs.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Hanukkah<\/a> is the Jewish Feast of Lights or Feast of Dedication. The Hebrew word Hanukkah means dedication<\/em>. The holiday begins on the eve of the 25th day of the Hebrew Month of Kislev and lasts eight days. Hanukkah usually falls in the month of December, but occasionally can start in November.\u00a0This year Hanukkah begins at sundown on Saturday, December 24, 2016, and ends on Monday, January 1, 2017.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How Do You Spell Hanukkah?<\/h4>\n

According to Judaism 101<\/a>, the process of writing Hebrew words in the Roman (English) alphabet is known as transliteration. Transliteration is more an art than a science, and opinions on the correct way to transliterate words vary widely. This is why the Jewish festival of lights (in Hebrew, Cheit-Nun-Kaf-Hei) is spelled Chanukah, Chanukkah, Hanuka, and many other interesting ways. Each spelling has a legitimate phonetic and orthographic basis; none is right or wrong.<\/p>\n

History<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The books of the Maccabees tell the story of Hanukkah which occurred in 165 B.C. After three years of struggle, the Jews in Judea defeated the Syrian tyrant Antiochus. The Jewish people held festivities in the Temple of Jerusalem, and rededicated it to God. After removing all Syrian idols from the Temple, the Jews found only one small pot of oil to light their holy lamps. Miraculously, the small pot provided oil for eight days. Judas Maccabaeus, the Jewish leader, then proclaimed a festival to be observed by Jewish people. (Source: www.apples4theteacher.com)<\/em><\/p>\n

Hanukkah Traditions\u00a0(Source: www.bhg.com<\/a>)<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n