When you were young, did you lie awake on Christmas Eve listening for the tapping of reindeer on the roof? Or perhaps you lay in bed holding your eyes shut and trying to sleep for fear that if you didn’t, Santa would never come. I look back now, remembering that the few weeks before Christmas seemed to be the longest out of the year. Filled with anticipation and excitement, I would always count down the days until Christmas, the holiday which my entire year seemed to revolve around as a child. It remains one of my favorite holidays still today; the only difference now is that I have found the importance of Christmas to be in the miracle of Jesus’ birth, and not the measure of presents under the tree. Christians find the significance of Christmas to be in the birth of Jesus Christ, but have you ever thought about the many ways in which the meaning and celebration of this holiday can differ? Christmas is repackaged, renamed, and redecorated in many different ways, one of the most common being Hanukkah. Many people, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, have chosen to throw out their Christmas trees and light up Menorahs in honor of the holiday season. Like Christmas, Hanukkah, also known as the Jewish Festival of Lights, has been built on a religious foundation. This holiday originated in 165 BC when the Maccabees reclaimed the temple from the Syrian army. However, when the people relit the Menorah, they found only enough oil left in the temple to enable it to burn for one day. Miraculously, the Menorah is said to have burned for eight days, giving rise to the eight day festival of Hanukkah. Accompanied by prayer, singing, and gift giving, a candle of the Menorah is lit for each of the eight days of Hanukkah. It is seen as a family celebration where Hebrew songs are sung, and children play games of dreidl.
Here at Worthington Christian, there are a few people who celebrate Hanukkah in their own unique ways. Whether it be exchanging Hanukkah gifts at lunch or lighting up Menorahs, the spirit of Hanukkah has been found woven throughout WC right along with the spirit of Christmas. “We wanted to learn about Jewish culture, so we decided to celebrate Hanukkah to kick off the holiday season,” said Reid Groth, who is part of a small group of Hanukkah celebrators who gather at lunch to exchange presents.
Every day of the eight days of Hanukkah, the girls come together during their lunchtime to give and receive gifts for which they had previously set a .50 cent spending limit. One day, someone even brought a Menorah in to further the holiday festivities. “Amy McClure had a Menorah, and we were going to light it, but we thought it might be against fire code,” says Reid. The Menorah was brought to school, but sadly was never lit. The girls also attempted to continue their Hanukkah celebration with a game of dreidl which was found unsuccessful because they did not know the rules of the game, but still fun to attempt. However, if you ever find yourself becoming bored with your usual holiday festivities, take a lesson from your classmates here at WC, and light up a Menorah!
