New York and Chicago Plan Chanukah Festivals

Chanukah, known variously as the Feast of Dedication, Feast of the Maccabees and the Festival of Lights, will be celebrated this year for the eight days beginning December 13 to commemorate the cleansing and dedication of the altar polluted by Antiochus Epiphanes, in the year 165 before the Christian era and to commemorate the victory achieved over the Syrians by the Hasmonean Mattathias and his sons, most famous of whom was Jehuda the Maccabee.

In the Talmud Chanukah is principally known as the Feast of Illumination. Candles are lit for eight days in memory of the miracle said to have occurred at the dedication of the purified temple when a small cruse of consecrated oil was found unpolluted. Although the amount of oil in it was insignificant, it burned for eight days.

The observance of the festival does not involve the cessation of work nor any of the other prohibitions connected with other Jewish holidays. Besides the lighting of candles and the reading of the story of Chanukah, games, riddles and other pastimes are indulged in on Chanukah evenings. The game of chess is popular with the grown-ups, while youngsters play “quitlach”, a kind of Jewish card game. Each card bears a Hebrew character the numerical value of which is utilized in the game. Children play in “drehdl”, consisting of a revolving top with the Hebrew letters Nun, Giml, Hay, SHin, played somewhat after the manner of the modernized “put-and-take” top. Gifts of money ### of objects, all known as “Chanukah-gelt”, are made, primarily to children. A popular dish during Chanukah is “latkes” (pancakes).

THE MACCABEE TRADITION

The tradition established by the Maccabee family has been perpetuated by a number of organizations, the most important of which is the Maccabee World Union, the sport organization of which Lord Melchett is the honorary president.