Judaism and Christianity: Fusion Festival of Christmas Nukkah

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Christmas is a mix of Christian Christmas and Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. In Christian-Jewish families, especially in the United States, Christmas Ukka is known as Chrismukkah; This is how the best of both worlds are celebrated together. But this is exactly what many people reject, because each festival carries a different meaning.

Hanukkah means opening in Hebrew and commemorates the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple in 164 BC. At that time, the Greeks occupied Jerusalem and forced the Jews to celebrate foreign rituals. Jews rebelled against foreign rule and won. But there was a problem: There was almost no oil left for the temple, and the light of the menorah, the seven-branched candelabra, must never go out. Miraculously, the oil continued to burn for eight days until new consecrated oil was made. The Hanukkah festival commemorates this miracle: Each day an additional light is turned on until eventually all eight lights are lit.

NO. The lighting of the eight Hanukkah candles is similar to the lighting of the four Advent lights that are turned on on the four Sundays of Advent. But the background of the rituals is completely different: Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple. Advent, on the other hand, is the time before Christmas that is meant to serve as a time of reflection and preparation for Christmas. Although Jesus was Jewish, only Christians worshiped him as the son of God. Therefore, Jews have nothing to celebrate on Christmas.

Most people are more interested in traditions than in a strict interpretation of religion. In the 19th century, many Jewish families wanted gifts to be given not only to Christian children but also to Jewish children. Since Hanukkah is right before Christmas, the festival of lights was a good idea.

If there were no oil shortage, there would be no Hanukkah: In memory of the endless oil, there are dishes cooked in oil on Hanukkah.

The Jewish community has been on alert since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7. The hostages remain in captivity and there is also fear of rocket attacks from Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Yemen. “The expectation of Hanukkah was practically nonexistent,” says Alfred Bodenheimer, 58, professor of Jewish religious history at the University of Basel. He stated that he commutes between Basel and Jerusalem and noted: “In the past, tons of pancakes could be purchased weeks before Hanukkah. This year you can’t find them almost anywhere.

Hanukkah, on the other hand, represents hope: light triumphs over darkness, Jews triumph over the Greeks. The hope of the Jews now is to destroy Hamas and make Israel safer. Alfred Bodenheimer believes: “It will be a quieter, sadder Hanukkah than it was decades ago.”

Source : Blick