Ready for Chanukah? - Hebrew for Christians

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On the Biblical calendar the month of Kislev (כִּסְלֵו) is the ninth of the year (counting from Nisan), and also one of the “darkest,” with the days progressively getting shorter and the nights getting longer. Indeed, the Winter Solstice often occurs during the last week of Kislev, and therefore the week of Chanukah (which straddles the months of Kislev and Tevet) often contains the longest night of the year. It is no wonder that, among other things, the holiday of Chanukah represents an appropriate time to kindle the lights of faith – and to remember the Light of the World in the Messiah’s advent to earth…

The Hebrew word Chanukah (חֲנֻכָּה) means “dedication” and marks an eight day winter celebration that commemorates the victory of faith over the ways of speculative reason, and demonstrates the power of the miracle in the face of mere humanism. Although it is customarily observed as a “Festival of Lights,” Chanukah is a “fighting holiday” — a call to resist the oppression of this world and to exercise faith in the LORD (Rom. 13:12).

This year (i.e., 2020 / 5781) the eight days of Chanukah will begin on Thursday, December 10th at sundown (1st candle) and will run until Friday, December 18th just before sundown. On the first night of Chanukah one flame is lit, on the second night two, and so on until the eighth night when eight flames are lit. In this way we remember the ‘growth’ of the miracle.

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