So…what have you heard about Hanukkah?
Well, contrary to the popular misnomer, Hanukkah is not “Jewish Christmas.”
In fact, Hanukkah predates the birth of Jesus (and therefore the impetus of Christmas) by around 167 years, give or take.
Those of us that celebrate Hanukkah (and, to some extent, Millennials who were fortunate enough to catch the Rugrats Hanukkah Special), know that Hanukkah commemorates the military victory of the vastly outnumbered Jewish Maccabees over the Seleucid Greeks, who, under the rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, captured and desecrated The Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and outlawed Jewish practice (about 167-ish BCE).
Ask any modern military commander, and they’ll tell you: that the Jews prevailed and kicked out the Greeks is nothing short of miraculous. Militarily akin to, say, your county’s high school ROTC program taking on Caesar’s Roman Legions. And winning.
Like, I said: miraculous.
But that’s not the miracle we Jews celebrate at Hanukkah.
Instead, we celebrate the fact that the oil in The Temple – the oil we use to keep The Holy of Holies (our Eternal Flame) alight – lasted for eight days, when we only had enough oil left in the coffers for one.
Which, I gotta admit, feels like small potato (pancakes).
For many, it’s puzzling why we’d kinda gloss over our military trouncing of an Imperial World Power in favor of some oil with a longer-than-expected shelf life. I confess, for the longest time I was among those who lit the Hanukkah candles and said the prayers while kinda muttering to myself, “Who cares?”
After all other Jewish holidays commemorate impressive miracles: The Burning Bush, the Ten Plagues of Egypt, the Parting of the Red Sea… And that’s just Passover! Yet a buncha Super Oil is supposed to impress me?
Well, as with most things Judaism, the meaning is in the symbolism, and in this way, Hanukkah is no different.
While the (arguably more impressive) miracles of Passover and the years that followed hold their own sacred spaces in Judaism, it was the fulfillment of God’s promise – when He lead us to The Promised Land of Israel and commanded King Solomon to build The Temple there – that looms largest for Jews.
God upheld His end of the bargain, and “keeping the light on” was us upholding ours.
With this context, we can see just how important it was that the Maccabees reclaimed the cultural and religious center of Jewish life. Once the context is added, the “Who cares?” perspective on Hanukkah starts to shift.
The light we kindle and the prayers we utter honor our spiritual and cultural home, our millennia-old traditions, and our covenant, which calls us to be lights unto the world.
Those readers of the Christian persuasion might recognize this concept from Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5:14-16:
“You are a light of the world. A town built upon a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.”
As aforementioned, Hanukkah predates Jesus’ ministry by about 200 years, and we know he celebrated the holiday. (Referred to as “The Feast of Dedication” in the Gospel of John).
There are other lessons to take from Hanukkah of course: lessons of perseverance, of the importance of keeping promises, of “faith that can move mountains.”
But for today – and to keep within the 23-minute run-time of the Rugrats Hanukkah special – we’ll stay focused on the miracle that is being a beacon of hope and light in the world.
May you shine your brightest today. And wish your Jewish friends a Happy Hanukkah (it runs Dec. 15 – 21).
To my Christian friends: a very Merry Christmas.
And to all: may 2026 be a blessed and beautiful New Year.
