Etsy Israel Team Wishes You a Happy Hanukkah!

raisinlike

Story by raisinlike

Published on Dec 11, 2009 in Read

Photo by RivkaBerman

Hanukkah, or The Festival of Lights, is an eight day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabees Revolt of the 2nd century BCE.

The holiday is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. An extra candle called a Shamash (Hebrew for “guard” or “servant”) is also lit each night for the purpose of lighting the others, and it is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest.

The holiday bears different meanings to the members of the Etsy Israel Team. Ever since I rented my first apartment, lighting the Hanukiah meant I am the queen of the castle. Even though Passover is considered the celebration of freedom, for me, it is Hanukkah that symbolizes accountability, self-sufficiency and standing on my own two feet. This Hanukiah shows a young family — mother, father and a young child waiting to light the Menorah, which is traditionally following by singing.

Ooty created this festive and happy Hanukiah, which elicits warm feelings of family and holiday time. She says, “This is my favorite holiday. Eight days of family and friends gathering, eating lots of holiday goodies and sharing little gifts and love. Feeling warm in the heart and around the house when it is wintry and cold outside.”

Another popular Hanukkah tradition in Israel is eating fried doughnuts and potato latkes. At the rededication following the victory of the Maccabees, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh olive oil.

Shay Aaron, who creates wonderfully realistic miniature food jewelry, says, “There are a variety of doughnuts around the world, but for me, the ultimate doughnut must be filled with jelly and powdered sugar. It reminds me my father, who used to work at night in our local bakery shop. That was our breakfast every day in December.”

 

 

Inbar talks about the tradition of Hanukkah coins: “Money is often distributed to children to enhance their enjoyment of the holiday. The amount is usually in small coins, although grandparents or other relatives may give larger sums as an official Hanukkah gift. In Israel, Hanukkah coins are also known as Dmei Hanukkah.”

 

 

 

The dreidel, or “sevivon” in Hebrew, is a four-sided spinning top that children play with on Hanukkah. Each side is imprinted with a Hebrew letter. These letters are an acronym for the Hebrew words that mean: “A great miracle happened here” (or “there” on dreidels created outside of Israel), referring to the miracle of the oil.

Tamar, who created these colorful dreidel cards, says: “Hanukkah, for me, is the holiday for extended family and friends. The fact that it is celebrated for eight days gives you the opportunity to be both a guest and a host and the whole week becomes one long colorful and tasty feast.”

 

Neta loves the homey aspect of the holiday: “Hanukkah always reminds me of cozy gatherings with the family on winter evenings when it is cold and rainy outside. As a young girl, I was always fascinated by the beautiful flickering lights of the candles. One of the things I liked most was creating amorphous forms by dripping the candle wax into small bowls of water.”

These slippers remind me of the beautiful colors of the candlelight, and the cozy atmosphere associated with Hanukkah.

P.S. Silly Pinky tells the kids about lighting the candles in this video.

 

The Etsy Israel Team wishes everyone a wonderfully bright, homey, loving and happy Hanukkah!

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