Generally, we consider winter to be the ‘dark season’. This year with the war between Hamas and Israel, I consider things to be really dark.
Tag Archives: Festival of Lights
The Festival of Lights
Tonight will be the first night of Chanuka, the 25th day of Kislev. For those of you who celebrate Christmas, you might recognize that number- 25. That date wasn’t chosen by accident by the first Christians. (It also explains why this is one of the few- the very few- holidays Christians celebrate on the “eve”- because it derives from the Jewish rule that a day is one evening and one morning….The others are New Year’s and Easter.)
The Festival of Lights
So, today is the first day (last night was the first night) of Chanuka. This holiday is also known as the Festival of Lights: many of us light multiple chanukiyas (Chanuka Menorahs), and some of us actually use oil and not candles for the illumination source.
The Festival of Lights
Last night was the first night of Chanuka, the 25th day of Kislev. Today is the first day. (You do recall the Tora defines a day- there was evening, there was morning, one day; all days begin at the evening, for when the world was all dark, before the Sun illuminated the sky by the decree of the Supreme Being.)
We lit the menora!
Today is the first day of Chanuka. (That means last night was the first night of the holiday.) For those of you who follow the Gregorian calendar, you would say the holiday is arriving early. Not as early as it did a few years ago, when it landed on Thanksgiving- but pretty early, nevertheless. (Chanuka always falls on the 25th day of Kislev, though, on our calendar.)
Chanuka
Tonight is the first night of Chanuka. For those of you who follow the Gregorian calendar, you would say the holiday is arriving early. It won’t fall this ‘early’ again for some 80,000+ years. (Chanuka always falls on the 25th day of Kislev, though, in our calendar.)