Tonight begins the 8 days of Hanukkah.
For those who don’t know it is celebrating the purification of the temple after it had been defiled by their foes, you can find the longer story in the 1 Maccabees 4:35-59 the meat and potatoes of it are here:
On the anniversary of the day on which the Gentiles had defiled it, on that very day it was reconsecrated with songs, harps, flutes, and cymbals. All the people prostrated themselves and adored and praised Heaven, who had given them success. For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar and joyfully offered holocausts and sacrifices of deliverance and praise. They ornamented the facade of the temple with gold crowns and shields; they repaired the gates and the priests’ chambers and furnished them with doors. There was great joy among the people now that the disgrace of the Gentiles was removed. Then Judas and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness on the anniversary every year for eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev.
To all those who celebrate it, a Happy and Holy Hanukkah and to those who do not, Have a nice week.
Let me give a shout out to the old HiWired company in closing, every year we would have a greeting for Christmas, and Hanukkah on the blog. It unabashedly acknowledged the religious nature of these days. It spoke very well of the company that they were not afraid to acknowledge religious holidays and I take my hat off to them.
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