Hanukkah starts tonight at sundown.  I was not raised in a Jewish home, but we celebrate Hanukkah every year, in our own way.  Actually Hanukkah is a celebration of historical events that occurred from the years 167 BC - 164 BC.  The story is very complex, highly political, and tragic.

 

But Hanukkah often coincides with Christmas, and is also called The Festival of Lights.  It tells the story of the miracle of the one-day supply of oil miraculously lasting eight days.  That part may be legend, but it's the idea and ritual we choose to celebrate. 

 

This is our menorah.  It holds 9 candles:  one candle for each night of Hanukkah and the shamash.  The shamash candle is used to light all the other candles.  We light one candle on the first night, two candles on the second night, and so on until the eighth night, when all the candles are lit.  My picture shows the first night of Hanukkah last year.  You can see the shamash candle stands apart, and the first night candle is lit on the right.  

 

The picture also shows a couple other things.  You can see that it is sunset, and you can see reflections of our Christmas lights.  My favorite part is this story behind the menorah:  The menorah is placed near a window or door, to remind us that when we go out into the world we should let our own inner light shine.  

 

So that is my Hanukkah story from my Christian perspective.  Let's celebrate the lights in the world.

 

 

HAPPY HANUKKAH!!!