SAN DIEGO — It’s Hanukah! Time to celebrate! Spin the dreidel, light the menorah, fry the latkes, and don’t forget the presents. These are all Hanukah traditions. But what is the real reason we celebrate?
The story of Hanukkah begins a long, long time ago in a far away city called Modi’in. It is close to Jerusalem, Israel. Antiochus, the king that ruled the area, tried to force everyone to do everything he demanded. But he believed in lots of gods and he wanted everyone to believe like he did. The Jewish people living in Modi’in knew there was only one God. They refused to follow the king’s rules. Mattatias and his son Judah gathered the townspeople. They called themselves the Maccabees. They left their homes and fled into the hills to hide.
Antiochus sent his soldiers to find the Jewish people and make them obey his rules. If they refused, the orders were to kill them. But the Maccabees fought back. It took three years, but they defeated the soldiers.
The Jewish people returned to their Temple, but discovered Antiochus had destroyed everything inside. He put statues of his gods inside and even let pigs live there. The Jewish people would have to clean the Temple and replace everything that was ruined.
Once the Temple was cleaned, the townspeople replaced the destroyed objects by bringing things from their own homes. Special linens and tablecloths were freely given to help make the Temple beautiful again. Now all they needed was the sacred oil used to light the menorah. But the jars of oil had been destroyed. It would take eight days to make new oil.
Then, one jar of sacred oil was found, enough to last one night. But a miracle occurred and the small jar of oil lasted eight nights. Then the new oil was ready and the light in the menorah could stay lit.
Why this holiday is important: Up until this time, most battles were fought to conquer land. This is the first time people battled for religious freedom. The Maccabees wanted to continue to believe in one God. When that right was threatened, they fought to preserve their beliefs.
What you can do: It is easy to think more about eating latkes and getting lots of presents on Hanukah. But the story shows us the holiday is more about giving than getting. The townspeople brought their finest things to the Temple. They gave things they treasured, gifts to make the temple whole again. This Hanukah, remember the story of Hanukah and why we celebrate. When you light your menorah, let it remind you about the little jar of oil that lasted eight nights. Think about how good it feels when you give gifts to your friends and family. Let the spirit of Hanukah shine for all eight days.
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Marcia Berneger is a retired elementary school teacher. She loves writing stories for children. She is the author of such children’s books as Buster the Little Garbage Truck, and A Dreidel in Time.