8 Chanukah Mysteries Revealed (continued)
by David Holzel
6. Is this the big Jewish holiday of the year?
You’d think so. And, in fact, a 2000 survey found that 72 percent of American Jews light Chanukah candles – slightly fewer than the 77 percent who hold or attend a Passover seder, but a lot more than the 59 percent who fast on Yom Kippur. So Chanukah is certainly just about the most popular Jewish holiday.
But for most of the 21 centuries after that first celebration in Jerusalem, Chanukah was a low-key, minor holiday. That began to change in the 19th century when, under the secular influences of the Enlightenment and Zionism, the Maccabees and their struggle began to be seen as heroic.
Today in Israel, Chanukah is celebrated as an act of national liberation. In the United States, the holiday’s subtext of religious freedom resonates.
Today in Israel, Chanukah is celebrated as an act of national liberation. In the United States, the holiday’s subtext of religious freedom resonates.
1 comment:
I've always thought of Chanukah (I prefer the spelling of Hanukkah) as a holiday all about liberation.
That's the way my mother taught the meaning of the holiday to me, handing down the religious faith.
Post a Comment