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Hanukkah isn’t “the Jewish Christmas.”
Although the Christian Bible mentions that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah (which means “dedication” in Hebrew), the only thing that really connects the two holidays is timing. Both are traditionally celebrated in the cold of winter, at the darkest time of the year.
That, and a certain festive spirit.
That’s why the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula would like to invite the entire community to attend its menorah lighting and party.
“Hanukkah is not about doing it quietly in our homes,” said Eric Maurer, the executive director. “We want people to be inspired to light up their own darkness, their own world. So we would welcome anyone from the community.”
The event will start at 6 p.m. in Newport News’ City Center on Sunday, the first night of Hanukkah. It will include potato latkes, sufganiyot (somewhere between a beignet and a jelly doughnut), crafts and a photo booth. Admission is free.
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There will also be klezmer music performed by Bagels and Fraylox, a group whose name is a play on both the words “lox” — as in cured salmon — and the Yiddish word “freilach,” which can describe either a happy tune, or the fun atmosphere the happy tune creates.
Other Jewish organizations will host Hanukkah events in Hampton Roads Sunday and throughout the week.
Jewish holidays always begin after dark because Judaism follows a lunar calendar, Maurer said. That’s also why the dates of Hanukkah change each year.
“The first night is when we have the least amount of light on our menorah, and we see that little bit of light is able to expel a lot of darkness,” he said. “And we really implore our communities all to be lights.”
Many people who aren’t Jewish have at least a passing familiarity with the Festival of Lights, but since it falls so close to Christmas, it’s easy to get confused about the reason for the celebration.
It’s not one of the Jewish High Holy Days, but it does recognize an important event in history: the reclamation of the Second Temple of Jerusalem in 164 BCE, four years after the city’s Greek ruler outlawed the practice of Judaism and took over the temple.
The menorah was supposed to be lit each night from the purest olive oil, but when the Jews retook the temple, there was only enough oil to last one night. As the story goes, though, the oil miraculously held out for eight days, long enough to acquire more fuel.
The temple’s menorah had only seven candles, but “hanukiya,” the menorahs used for Hanukkah, have nine — one for each night, and one “shamash” or “helper” candle used to light the others.
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That candle carries a special message, Maurer said.
“When you share light from one candle to another, it doesn’t diminish the light,” he said. “And so on Hanukkah we’re reminding ourselves that we need to be a light to the world and we need to light up all the darkness that we see.”
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If you go
When: 6 p.m. Sunday
Where: City Center, 701 Town Center Drive, Newport News
Admission: Free
Details: ujcvp.org