Festive Lights – Christmas, Hanukkah and Everything in Between
In the depth of the cold, dark winter, two well-known holidays filled with light, miracles and hope are celebrated: Hanukkah in Judaism and Christmas in Christianity. Are there more resemblances than it seems between these two holidays, why are they even celebrated and do other cultures observe similar holidays?
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday beginning in the month of Kislev, the ninth holiday of the Hebrew calendar which is considered the darkest month, not too far apart from Christmas (Hanukkah usually falls on the month of November or December according to the Gregorian calendar, while Christmas is celebrated in December 24-25). Hanukkah, also known as “the festival of lights” because of the candles that are lit in the menorah for eight days throughout the holiday (starting on the 25th day of Kislev and ending on the second or third day of Tevet in the Hebrew calendar), is celebrated in honor of the Maccabees over the Greeks, the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil container: over two thousand years ago, the holy land was ruled by the Greeks, who wished that the Jewish people would be assimilated in their culture and traditions and to prevent them from maintaining their Jewish beliefs and customs. As a result, a rebellion against the Greek rulership broke out, led by the Hasmonean family (also known as “Maccabees”). After the Maccabees won against the Greeks, they wanted to renew the holy duties performed at the Temple in Jerusalem and light its menorah, but discovered that all the oil that was used to light it was profaned by the Greeks. All they could find was one oil container, still sealed with the seal of the high priest of the Temple, that was so small that they believed it would only be sufficient to light the Menorah for a single day. However, the small oil container miraculously lasted enough to light the Menorah for eight days. To commemorate that miracle, Jewish people light candles in their menorah at home every year in Hanukkah for eight days.
Another holiday where lights and miracles are prominent motifs is Christmas, a Christian holiday in which according to traditional belief, Jesus, the founder of Christianity, was born. The name “Christmas” is derived from the term “Christ’s mass” (a mass is a Christian ritual and Christ is a term referring to Jesus). Common Christmas traditions include giving gifts, hanging colorful lights and other decorations on a fir tree and a festive dinner. In addition, believing in “Christmas miracles” also became very popular and is connected to the miraculous birth of Jesus, who is perceived by Christian worshipers as their savior. Christmas Eve is celebrated in the evening of December 24th, while Christmas day is on the following day, December 25th. But in fact, the New Testament does not even mention the date of Jesus’s birth and Christmas was not celebrated in the early years of Christianity. Only around the fourth century did Christian officials decided to establish the birthday of Jesus as a holiday and the date chosen for this occasion was December 25th, probably in an effort to adopt and assimilate ancient pagan holidays into Christianity and increase the popularity of Christmas among the worshipers. Among these pagan holidays is Yule, celebrated by the Norse in Scandinavia on December 21st, the winter solstice (which is the shortest day of the year), to commemorate the sun’s return after the long winter. Similarly, in the Roman empire the 25th of December was considered the birthday of the Roman god Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, and “the day of the unconquered sun” (or “dies solis invicti nati” in Latin) was a time to celebrate the winter solstice as a symbol of the revival of the sun, the end of winter and the return of spring and summer. Another holiday observed in the Roman empire at the beginning of the week leading to the winter solstice was Saturnalia, the day of the Roman god of agriculture, Saturn.
One more holiday worth mentioning in this setting is “Diwali” (alternately spelled “Divali”), a Hindu festival that is also referred to as “festival of lights” and is observed around the end of autumn (middle October or November, according to the Gregorian calendar). The name originates in the Sanskrit term “dipavali”, meaning “row of lights”, since it is customary in this holiday to light candles and lamps in houses, temples and also to send them floating upon rivers and streams. Other holiday traditions include cleaning and decorating one’s house, celebratory feasts, giving gifts and lighting fireworks. The holiday is associated with various deities in accordance with diverse local traditions in different parts of India and Bengal. According to one common belief, the holiday is connected with the victory of the “army of good” of the Hindu god Rama over the “army of evil” of the demon king Ravana, a story entailed in the Hindu epic “Ramayana”. As per another popular tradition, the holiday is related to the victory of the Hindu god Vishnu, as incarnation of the Hindu god Krishna, over the evil demon king Narakasura, and the release of 16,000 girls that were held captive by him. An additional belief marks Diwali as the night when the Hindu goddess Lakshmi chose to marry the Hindu god Vishnu. There are many other traditions relating to the holiday but either way, in the eyes of the Hindu worshipers Diwali signifies the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
It’s only natural that in the days of the long, cold winter and particularly in the winter solstice, worshipers of various religions seek to observe holidays signifying the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. Precisely when everything seems dark, worshipers wish to find solace in stories about heroism and miracles and to light an abundance of candles, lamps and fireworks to remind themselves that they mustn’t lose hope: winter will eventually be over and the sun will return to shine in all its might.
