21st
Hanukkah Myths: Hanukkah is Neither a Holiday nor Anything Like a Jewish Version of Christmas
I cringe whenever I hear “Happy Holidays” applied to Hanukkah or hear someone suggest that Hanukkah is essentially a Jewish version of Christmas. Like Christmas, Hanukkah involves celebrating light in darkness and eating fatty foods, but the similarities end there.
First, Hanukkah is not a holiday (i.e. a holy-day). In Judaism, all holidays are Sabbaths; work, travel, and many other activities are not allowed. This is not true for Hanukkah. Hanukkah is a relatively minor festival and work is definitely allowed.
Secondly, while Christmas celebrates the birth of the Messiah, as well as love, peace, and understanding among peoples, Hanukkah celebrates a military victory and the survival of Judaism in the face of strong pressures to assimilate. (The Greek king Antiochus effectively banned Judaism, converted the Temple into a temple for Zeus, and favored highly assimilated, “Hellenized” Jews. Subsequently, a Jewish revolt defeated the Greeks and the Temple was liberated and reconsecrated.)
Underlying the “Happy Holidays” message, is a somewhat offensive assimilative subtext that we are all celebrating more or less the same thing at this time of year. We are not. If fact, we are celebrating our differences and the ability of Judaism to survive as a distinct tradition apart from the dominant culture that surrounds it.
So, if it’s your thing, enjoy Christmas. It’s a beautiful and Holy day, the anniversary of the birth of your Savior, the vestige of beautiful, ancient Pagan solstice traditions, etc. But keep in mind, that Hanukkah is really not the least bit like it.
