Hanukkah and Christmas: Lights, candles, and gifts; What’s the difference?

This year the Jewish festival of Hanukkah begins on the eve of Dec. 2. What both Hanukkah and Christmas have in common is the happiness and joy that each brings to the family, and the family togetherness and the desire to help others that each holiday seems to generate every year.
The festive lights of both holidays continue to break the darkness of the winter sky, reminding us of the ever-continuing obligation to serve all of those in need, thus bringing some light and hope into their lives as well.
Although it is true that both Hanukkah and Christmas use lights and often have exchanging of gifts, the two holidays are not very similar at all.
Hanukkah means “rededication,” which refers to the eight-day rededication of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, which had been defiled by the Syrian Greeks.
When the rabbis sensed that the military victory of the Maccabees was taking precedence in the minds of the Jewish people, they introduced the notion of the miraculous cruse of oil.
According to tradition, the oil burned for eight days — or, at least, the miraculous victory was so great it seemed as if the Temple menorah glowed throughout the eight-day festival of rededication.
Gift giving was part of the early Purim tradition, but not of Hanukkah. In Eastern Europe, on the fifth night of Hanukkah, families gathered for a special family night during which children were given Hanukkah gelt, (money).
Later, when Christians and Jews mingled more freely, Jews were influenced by the Christian tradition of giving gifts to children at Christmas season. Soon, Jewish parents began the practice of giving gifts other than Hanukkah gelt to their children.
Unlike Hanukkah, which celebrates rededication of the Temple, Christians around the world celebrate Christmas as the birthday of Jesus.
Although Christmas is celebrated on the 25th day of December, the exact date of Jesus’ birth is unknown. Most Bible scholars agree that the birth, in fact, did not take place in December at all, but probably during the spring of the year. Dec. 25 was supposedly chosen not by Christians but by the Romans, the traditional antagonists of the early Church. Each year, as the days became noticeably shorter in November and December, the Roman citizens feared that the earth might be “dying.”
With the return of the sun at the end of December resulting in longer days, the Romans celebrated the Feast of the Sol Invictus (Feast of the Unconquerable Sun) on Dec. 25.
In the fourth century, a Roman bishop ordered that all Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on that day. Many scholars believe that the bishop chose this date so that Christians, still members of an outlaw religion in the eyes of the Romans, could celebrate the birth of their Savior without danger of revealing their religious conviction, while their Roman neighbors celebrated another event.
Wishing our readers a bright and festive holiday season, filled with light, grace, kindness, peace, shalom and fulfillment. Happy holidays to all!
ED. NOTE: Rabbi Isaacs is rabbi at Beth Judah Temple, Wildwood. He invites questions emailed to his website, www.rabbiron.com