“Merry Christmas” to our Christian friends
By Ted Belman
Although it is not our holiday, that doesn’t mean that we Jews in the US and Canada don’t enjoy vicariously the atmosphere of joy and good will engendered by Christmas. Similarly, we enjoy watching as much as you do, Little Women, Its a Wonderful Life and Christmas Carol among others, which are on television every year at this time.
Hanukkah is sometimes referred to as the Jewish Christmas, but it is no such thing. The two holidays have nothing in common though some Jews think of Chanukah that way.
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.
see the blog “a fire burns in breslov” for uplifting information about the true spiritual nature of chanukah. that the light from the hanukia is actually the light of the menorah from the bet hamikdash, the ohr haganuz, very special, sacred light. that we bring into our homes and ourselves at this time.
it is so far beyond the ‘yavan’ holiday….
Comment by bugsy — December 24, 2008 @ 12:57 am
All I Want for Christmas Is… Jews
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=z8LmMtScH3g
Comment by yamit82 — December 24, 2008 @ 1:50 pm
song on Bethlehem for our Christian friends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxzCDYBpD0U&feature=related
Comment by yamit82 — December 24, 2008 @ 3:24 pm