Lights in the darkness

Hanukkah, celebrated this week around the world, is not the Jewish version of Christmas. Neither is it one of the major Jewish holidays, as is Christmas for Christians. Yet, its observance is timely and rich in meaning.

Hanukkah, the word means “rededication,” marks the cleansing and rededication of the temple in Jerusalem 165 years before the birth of Jesus. It follows the defeat of the Syrians by Judas Maccabee and his followers.

During this festival—a national holiday in Israel—there are parties with food, music and games, and sometimes the giving of small gifts. But the real significance is the lighting of the menorah in memory of the lamps kept miraculously aglow, despite the lack of oil, over two millennia ago.

Hanukkah observance may also include readings from scripture and songs. Thanks are given to God “for delivering the strong into the hands of the weak and the evil into the hands of the good.”

That Hanukkah occurs close to the winter solstice, and in the last and darkest phase of the moon, makes lighting the menorah a sign of hope. Darkness will not last. Light will overcome.

Lighting the menorah is also a bold statement, as it was for the Jews who had reclaimed their temple, that we as a people are back. We have returned to claim our culture and values. We are starting anew.

During Advent, Christians are asked to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Christ. We are encouraged to look for the deeper meaning of Christmas, beyond the gifts and glitter. We are asked to take time to be introspective, to meditate on the real gift of Christmas. And as we prepare for the New Year, we, too, are asked to start anew.

Another winter festival also asks us to reflect, to consider the meaning of our lives. A couple of years ago we joined our African-American relatives and friends in celebrating Kwanzaa, which begins the day after Christmas and extends to the New Year. Each evening it was held at a different neighbor’s home. There was good food, song and cheer.

Then we all came into the living room to light one of the seven candles in the kinara, and to reflect on one of the seven traditions, or principles. They are unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose and remembering our culture, creativity, and faith.

As the world turns through darkness, we find hope in the lights of our different festivals and holidays, the glittering yard and porch arrays of Christmas lights, the quiet beauty of menorahs, the candles and traditions of Kwanzaa.

We celebrate, we laugh, we share, we meditate, we rededicate, we start anew. Happy Hanukkah. Merry Christmas. Happy Kwanzaa. Happy New Year!