991203 Hanukkah is Here!

December 1, 2010

Hanukkah is Here!

The Jewish holiday begins at sunset tonight

By Andrea Delbanco

This year, Jews begin celebrating Hanukkah at sunset on December 1. The holiday lasts eight days and nights. In Hebrew, the word "Hanukkah" means "dedication." Hanukkah honors a struggle that dates back to 165 B.C., when Jews defeated an invading army and regained the Temple at Jerusalem. According to legend, Jews found a lamp inside the temple with just enough oil to light their holy lamps for one night. By some miracle, the legend goes, it burned for eight nights. Today, Jews celebrate Hanukkah by lighting a candle in a special holder, called a menorah, for each of the eight nights.

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel!

Last night, two students at Yeshiva University in New York City set a new world record for dreidel spinning in the Guinness Book of World Records. The two students, along with 616 others, set a new record of 618 people spinning the four-sided tops at the same time. The old record was 541 and took place in New Jersey five years ago. Guinness still has to certify the dreidel record before it becomes official.

And . . .It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Elsewhere in New York City last night, thousands of people of all faiths gathered in Rockefeller Center to watch the lighting of the country's most famous Christmas tree. Mayor Michael Bloomberg helped turn on the 30,000 energy-efficient lights that decorate the 74-foot Norway spruce. The ceremony, which included performances by Jessica Simpson, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban and Charice, was broadcast on television. The towering tree will be lit until January 7, 2011.

Max-It’s December! Time goes really fast, and it’s time to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas! Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday, and it’s just like Christmas (I’m not really sure), and you know that, that the only different thing from these two holidays is one is made by the Jewish and the other one is made by the Christians. Hanukkah is found because of a candle, which it can burn only one night, but it lasted for eight nights. So the Jewish made a special candle holder, and put eight candles on it, and each night, they light a candle until eight days are over. Dreidels are a game that the Jewish play in Hanukkah. Everybody puts many game pieces in the pot, and spin the wooden four-sided tops with pictures on each side of the pot. Some pictures represent how many game pieces you can get, or give game pieces to the pot, or do nothing. There are also many different types of dreidel games, like who spun the longest time, or how many dreidels are being spun at the same time. Also, Christmas is almost here! Maybe everyone likes Santa’s presents, Christmas trees, and Christmas dinner too!