Hanukkah Research Paper

Sarah Gordon
9 December 2014
Oy Vey! Merry Hanukkah?!
The holiday season can mean many different things to American families depending on the region they live in and the religion they practice. Christmas dominates the focus wherever one goes with the over the top trees and a jolly reindeer wielding man. However, if we take a closer look, Hanukkah also shares the spotlight. “If you place a tree in the town square, you need a menorah as well. We festoon offices with blue and silver Hanukkah decorations alongside Christmas trimmings” (Greenburg). While at first glance there may seem to be many similarities, the comparison made between these two holidays during this season is erroneous. The prime differences between the two holidays are not only …show more content…
The celebration is actually not part of Jewish scripture and is only found in the Maccabee books, which are compiled “of a pair of introductory letters a prologue to the narrative proper and an epitome (Wheaton 248). Jordana Horn, a journalist and contributing editor to Kveller, a website dedicated to modern-day Jewish family life writes, “Hanukkah, which purely coincidentally takes place around Christmas, commemorates the story of a Jewish rebellion against the Greek king of Syria, Antiochus.” As part of the celebration, the victors wanted to light the Menorah but had only a single day’s worth of oil available. The oil, however, lasted for eight days, leading to the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah, known also as “The Festival of Lights” (The Gift of Holiday Traditions). In the Jewish tradition, Hanukkah was customarily a minor holiday until it was tailored to fit a new American Jewish …show more content…
Jewish immigration to the United States also increased dramatically and as a result, many also encountered the American tradition of Christmas. Celebrating Hanukkah was an easy solution. “Parents couldn't very well deprive their kids of gifts or seasonal merriment, and Hanukkah benefited from convenient timing. Instead of giving the traditional "gelt," or money, Jews celebrated with presents, so as not to fall short of their Christian neighbors” (Greenburg). In an attempt to preserve practices and traditions in their communities against an overwhelming Christian presence, church leaders also wanted to find a way to reach out to children. Many rabbi’s focused on Hanukkah and purposely made it a much more grand celebration in America to accomplish that goal. Hanukkah festivals encouraged “American Jewish children to embrace their religion,” thus priming them to become considerably more loyal members of the faith (Ashton 75). In modern day America, Hanukkah is now portrayed as a kind of “Jewish Christmas.” In the film, Eight Crazy Nights, Jewish comedian Adam Sandler sings, “One day of presents? Hell no! We get eight crazy nights!” It’s tradition for Jewish families to come together, light menorah candles, eat

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