Happy Chanukka! Today is already the last of the 8 days of Chanukka. It was also celebrated in the physics faculty. Every afternoon at 5pm, people from the whole faculty met in the entrance hall and somebody lit candles on the chanukkia (nine-branched candelabrum) according to the day. At first I was surprised to see nine branches instead of the famous seven of the so called menora. It becomes clear with the (hi)story.
After fights against the Hellenistic occupation and an altar for Zeus in the temple, only a small jug of consecrated olive oil was left that was expected to be just enough to light the candles in the temple for one day. In the end, the miracle was reported that it lasted for eight days. For this reason, on Chanukka, one more candle per day is lit. So on the first day, the central candle is lit that is in turn used to light the first candle (in total 2). On the second day, the central candle plus two regular candles, and so on until on the eighth day, all 9 candles shine. There are even 9 candles below the traffic lights of the main street of Rehovot.
Since oil plays such an important role, the traditional Chanukka food is fried in a lot of oil: sufganiot (doughnuts/Berliner) and levivot (potato/vegetable pancake, jiddish latkes). In fact, these two specialities and other sweets were served every day in the physics department! (This compensates for all the Spekulatius, Lebkuchen, Plätzchen that I do not eat during the advent season...) Today I was at a conference that ended with amazing sufganiot, not only filled with jam, but with other sweat creams and decorated with chocolate on top.
While somebody lights the candles, one of the traditional Chanukka songs is sung. In the physics department, every day somebody also gave a little speach, for example once a Jewish physicist told about his childhood in North America, where Chanukka has to "compete" with Christmas. He also highlighted that Chanukka is less commercialised. Children often receive dmei chanukka, small presents like chocolate coins and a sevivon (spinning top) with 4 sides that show the letters נגהפ/ש (nun, gimel, he, pe/shin) for "nes gadol haya po/sham" (a big miracle was here/there, depending on whether the player is in Israel or in the diaspora). Today at the Hebrew course we also received a spinning top and sufganiot made by our teacher!
Only once the tradition appeared weird to me when 2 orthodox men walked into a pizzeria, installed candles in the chanukkia and asked a guest to light the candles. But for this, they put a kippa on his head although he does not wear a kippa otherwise.
Apart from that, chanukka as the festival of lights creates a cosy atmosphere on the dark "winter" days. Religious and historical traditions seem to mix with the ambition to create the most delicious and fancy sufganiot...
After fights against the Hellenistic occupation and an altar for Zeus in the temple, only a small jug of consecrated olive oil was left that was expected to be just enough to light the candles in the temple for one day. In the end, the miracle was reported that it lasted for eight days. For this reason, on Chanukka, one more candle per day is lit. So on the first day, the central candle is lit that is in turn used to light the first candle (in total 2). On the second day, the central candle plus two regular candles, and so on until on the eighth day, all 9 candles shine. There are even 9 candles below the traffic lights of the main street of Rehovot.
Since oil plays such an important role, the traditional Chanukka food is fried in a lot of oil: sufganiot (doughnuts/Berliner) and levivot (potato/vegetable pancake, jiddish latkes). In fact, these two specialities and other sweets were served every day in the physics department! (This compensates for all the Spekulatius, Lebkuchen, Plätzchen that I do not eat during the advent season...) Today I was at a conference that ended with amazing sufganiot, not only filled with jam, but with other sweat creams and decorated with chocolate on top.
While somebody lights the candles, one of the traditional Chanukka songs is sung. In the physics department, every day somebody also gave a little speach, for example once a Jewish physicist told about his childhood in North America, where Chanukka has to "compete" with Christmas. He also highlighted that Chanukka is less commercialised. Children often receive dmei chanukka, small presents like chocolate coins and a sevivon (spinning top) with 4 sides that show the letters נגהפ/ש (nun, gimel, he, pe/shin) for "nes gadol haya po/sham" (a big miracle was here/there, depending on whether the player is in Israel or in the diaspora). Today at the Hebrew course we also received a spinning top and sufganiot made by our teacher!
Only once the tradition appeared weird to me when 2 orthodox men walked into a pizzeria, installed candles in the chanukkia and asked a guest to light the candles. But for this, they put a kippa on his head although he does not wear a kippa otherwise.
Apart from that, chanukka as the festival of lights creates a cosy atmosphere on the dark "winter" days. Religious and historical traditions seem to mix with the ambition to create the most delicious and fancy sufganiot...
