John Ben Regesh, J. D.

Blog:

 12/13/09 Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah and what do these two celebrations have in common?

Yes one is a Jewish Holiday and the other a Christian Holiday.  However there are other connections. Hanukah is the real reason that Christmas is on the 25th of December. I know, I know, you have heard a lot of rubbish from some that it had to do with some pagan feast or the Winter Solstice or some other vague reason. 

Let me begin to recount a little of the story here so you can enjoy knowing the real truth. Judah Maccabees and his revolutionary army had just taken back Jerusalem and the Temple. The temple had been defiled.  One of his men found the seven branch menorah (candlestick) and there was only one cruse of oil. It took one cruse per day to keep the menorah lit. It also took eight days to consecrate more oil. Judah told them to put the oil in the menorah and light it. The menorah burned for the entire eight days until the oil was consecrated. Judah Maccabees ordered that this miracle should be celebrated every year on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev.  This is why this eight day feast requires a nine branch menorah. The central candle is called the Shamash and it is from that candle that all other candles receive their light and flame.  So on the first night two candles are lit. The Shamash and the first candle of Hanukah.

 From the Christian Gospel of Luke, we know that the angel appeared to Mary in the sixth month, Adar. (Adar roughly corresponds to our third month of March) Counting nine months from then would place the birth of Jesus sometime in Winter near the end of what we call December. Remember that the Jews use a lunar calendar while we are on a solar calendar. Early Christians were not sure of the date of Christ's birth, but they were sure of another date. They were sure when Jesus came out into the world and told the world that He was the Son of God. If that statement takes you aback, go to John 10 where Jesus is walking in the Portico of Solomon on the first day of the feast of Hanukah. The people ask Jesus to come out and plainly tell them whether He is or is not the Messiah, the Christ.  Jesus tells them that indeed He is the Son of God. Their response is to try and find stones to stone Him.

When early Christians moved the celebration from the Hebrew calendar to the Roman calendar they moved it to the month that most closely corresponded to Kislev and kept the day as the 25th.

The Shamash became a symbol of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World from which all other lights are lit. The eight days of Hanukah and the dedication of the Temple prefigured the birth of Our Savior Jesus Christ through His dedication and circumcision eight days after His birth. It was at His circumcision where Jesus' first blood was spilt for the Law and the Covenant His Father made with Abraham. 

 

© John Ben Regesh 2009