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Weihnachten in Israel/Herzlia

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Hanoka is celebrated to remember a miracle that happened in the past in the temple. The MENORA (its like a candle stick with 7 places for 7 candles) needed to light at all times. but Antiochus ( the roman emperor) entered the temple and destroied all the oil bottles and the sacred stuff. Well afterward YEHUDA HAMACABI the hero of that time won the battle over Jerusalem and entered the temple. But when they wanted to light the menora they didnt have any oil. But then they found a little oil bottle which miraculasly managed to light the menora for 8 days and 8 nights (which is excactly the time which takes to produce more oil. And that is why hanucka is celebrated for 8 days. That is the story... about what happenes in this holiday well, basicly we just light the Hanukia (like a menora but with 9 places for candles). The hanukia has 9 candles to remember the eight days : you have 4 candles on the left and 4 candles on the right and a SHAMASH in the middle. You light the shamash every night and you use it to light the other candles... So you light 2 candles on the first night, three candles on the second night and so on..So its three on the second night 4 on the third ...until after 8 nights you light the hole hanukia and we eat Sofganiot which are kind of like Donats... and basicly everything which is cooked in oil...

There is another nice piece of ceramony in this holiday: back then the way to transfer messages was by fires: you light a big fire on a hill and someone sees it on anther hill and light another fire... That way the mesage can travel great distances.. In this way for example the end of a battle could been known... So in hanuka we put the hanukias on windows. So everybody can see them to remember those fires..