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Last year’s “8 Facts” about the Jewish Feast of Dedication already provided you with detailed knowledge about Hanukkah.

But do you know whether to put the candles from left to right or from right to left into the hanukkiah and from which side you should start lighting the candles? Find out now with one of the most beautiful genres – the explanatory film:

Hanukkah candelabrum in the glass courtyard of the museum, still without candles; photo: Julia Katja Jokel

Hanukkah is just around the corner, which is why in some households a menorah is standing ready—ideally, in front of the building or in the window for all to see, as is the custom. Those celebrating this eight-day-long holiday will light the first of eight candles tonight. Tomorrow, the second one will be lit, and so on—every evening one more is lit than the evening before.

From December 12 to 19, there will also be a small ceremony in the Jewish Museum’s Glass Courtyard with candle-lighting and music. Anyone who would like to come is warmly invited to take part today at 4 p.m. Further information can be found on the museum’s website.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and the miracle associated with it. Today we can’t expect a true miracle, but there are some pretty marvelous things in our collection and from the World Wide Web that we would like to show you. Have a look!

Happy Hanukkah and chag sameach!

“8 Facts” about the Jewish Feast of Dedication

Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Jens Ziehe

1
The history of the Jewish Festival of Lights is about the one temple in Jerusalem. To be precise, about its re-consecration (“Hanukkah”) in the year 164 B.C.E. after it had stood for many years under Syrian-Greek control.

2
During this period of foreign rule, two groups were in conflict: on the one side was the Seleucid Empire under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, while on the other side were the courageous Maccabees led by the priest Mattathias and his sons. → continue reading