2016-06-30
On the 25th of Kislev are the days of Hanukkah, which are eight... these were appointed a Festival with Hallel [prayers of praise] and thanksgiving.
- Shabbat 21b, Babylonian Talmud

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 165 BCE after the Temple had been profaned by the Hellenistic Emperor Antiochus IV. At the time of the rededication, there was just one day’s worth of pure oil left that was needed to keep the Temple menorah burning. But tradition says a great miracle happened: It lasted for eight days.

Each year, Jews light candles in their Hanukkiot (Hanukkah menorahs) to symbolize the miracle. On the first night of Hanukkah, one candle is placed in the menorah. On each successive night, another candle is added. By the last night of Hanukkah, eight candles are glowing brightly in celebration of this beautiful festival.

Share your Hanukkah rituals with Beliefnet by sending us photos of your Hanukkiot and stories about how you celebrate the Festival of Lights. Selected photos and stories will be featured in a photo gallery on the Beliefnet site.

What to do:
1. Send us photos of your Hanukkah menorah
2. Write a story about it
3. Email both to the address below

Send to: editorialbeliefnet2@gmail.com

Deadline: Friday, Nov. 17, 2006

Requirements:

  • Email subject headline should say: My Hanukkah Menorah 
  • Maximum submission of 3 images per person
  • Photos of your work must be in a .jpg or .gif format
  • You must include a short description (at least 3-5 sentences) along with the photo(s) explaining how you celebrate Hanukkah and why it is meaningful to you.
  • Include your name, your occupation, your city/state of residency.
  • All images and writing must be original to you. If you are submitting a work that has been previously published elsewhere, please make sure there will be no conflict before submitting to us. We just want to remind you that, per our terms of service, Beliefnet trusts that you only send material you actually own (i.e., not other people's copyrighted materials) and by sending it to us, you grant us and our editorial partners the right to use it in any form.

    Thank you.

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