Did You Know?
Facts, Figures &
Folklore about Chanukah
the Jewish Festival of Lights Nov 27 : 04 days till Chanukah
Did you know the Chanukah lights are placed from left to right in the chanukiah, but are lit from right to left?
This topic was extensively debated thousands of years ago by the Jewish sages, who ultimately decided on this order of things. Since then, every Jew has lit his or her chanukiah in the same manner.
Did you know that the chanukiah is supposed to be lit at nightfall, except on the Sabbath, when the candles are lit immediately before sunset so that the Sabbath candles may be lit afterwards?
The Chanukah lights are supposed to remain illuminated for at least thirty minutes after dark. Olive oil was originally used to light the chanukiah, but today many families opt for the less expensive option of brightly colored candles. These special Chanukah candles are designed to burn for 40 minutes.
Did You Know?
Facts, Figures &
Folklore about Chanukah
the Jewish Festival of Lights Nov 26 : 05 days till Chanukah
Did you know that the number of branches on the chanukiah is connected to a miracle said to have happened when the Maccabees restored the Temple?
The Jews cleaned up their Temple, fixed the broken alter and removed all the Greek idols. Then, they went to light the eternal lamp to rededicate the Temple. There was only enough oil to last for one night, and the process of refining more oil would have taken a long time. Miraculously, however, the oil burned through eight nights.
Did you know that Jewish law commands every Jewish person to light his or her own chanukiah?
This is why families will often own multiple chanukiot (plural), with simple, wooden ones being used for younger children. Once all the chanukiot are lit, families recite a special prayer and sing songs about the brave Maccabees.
Charles Schulz (cartoonist-Peanuts)
One of America’s most influential cartoonists, the late Charles Schulz is most famous for his comic strip “Peanuts” and its beloved characters including Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Pig Pen and of course Snoopy.
Along with the comic strip Schulz also created 2 of the best television holiday specials ever – “A Charlie Brown Christmas ” and “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”.
Today is a special day for us “Charlie Browniacs” and join us as we celebrate with a little music, specifically what has become the signature tune of the Peanuts TV specials – “Linus and Lucy.” Here is a nice interpretation of the tune by David Benoit. Enjoy.
Black Friday Twas the day after Thanksgiving,
and all through the mall,
lots of crazies were stirring,
the big and the small.
The decorations were hung
throughout the mall with some care,
but weren’t these snowflakes
up before Halloween?
Well aside from the bad poetry, today is the official start of the Christmas shopping season. It was the day that, traditionally, retailers accounting books went from “red” to “black.” And while that’s not really true anymore it is still a big day for retailers. And bargain hunters.
Did You Know?
Facts, Figures &
Folklore about Chanukah
the Jewish Festival of Lights Nov 25 : 06 days till Chanukah
Did you know that a menorah is actually a candelabra with six branches?
So, when someone says that they are going to light their Chanukah menorah, they are technically mistaken. The eight-branched candelabra that is lit on Chanukah is correctly known as a chanukiah.
Did you know that the many chanukiahs have nine candle holders?
There are eight equally spaced holders for each of the eight days of Chanukah, along with a ninth holder for the helper candle, called the Shamash. The Shamash holder is typically separated from the other eight — either higher up or off to the side. The role of the Shamash is to light each of the other candles.
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holiday meals. A time of turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. A time for Indian corn, holiday parades and giant balloons.
So join us for our Thanksgiving celebration. We’ve got stories of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, turkeys to take home, holiday pictures for the kids to print and color, tasty holiday recipes and e-greeting cards to send your friends and family. We hope you find something you like!
Charles Schulz (cartoonist-Peanuts)
