shylarah — Roleplayer Guild

@Scout You mean me?  I feel like it's come up...but then, I'm also the one with people I've known for five years that I still don't know by name.  ^.^;;

@CollectorOfMyst Sure, and I imagine the others can help explain.

Long time ago the Jews had a kingdom in Israel.  The Greeks under Antiocus IV sacked the Temple there when the Jews refused to stop their own religious practices and act reverent towards a statue of Zeus that he put up.  Eventually the Jews that fled banded together and came back, and though they were a smaller force they managed to kick the Greeks out again.

When they went to re-sanctify the Temple, and rekindle the light that is always kept burning there, they could only find enough consecrated oil to last for a single day, and getting more would take eight days.  But the oil lasted for eight days, and that was the miracle of Chanukkah.

The lamp or candelabra you're talking about has nine branches.  Usually it's called a menorah, but this is actually a generic term for a lamp of such a sort.  Most of the ones seen in Jewish symbolism have seven branches -- six and then the one that is used to light the rest (called the shamesh).  THe one used for Chanukkah is instead nine-branched, one candle for each of the eight days and then the shamesh.

The game with the four-sided top is called dreidle (or dreydel, or...you get the idea).  Gelt is often mentioned.  This used to be actual money, but now it's usually chocolate coins.

Fried foods are traditional, because you fry stuff in oil.  Originally this was sufganyot, or jelly donuts, but nowadays latkes (potato pancakes) seem to be better recognized.  Gifts are often exchanged, though the tradition varies by family.  In America it's made into a bit of a production, I think primarily because Christmas is such a production.  In Israel, I understand that candles are lit, there's maybe some singing, maybe a bit of dreidle, maybe a small gift or two, but it's really just a normal day.

There's a lot of stuff online if you want more information.  ^.^  My mom would come into my grade school to do a presentation each year, which was pretty great.  And I adore, ADORE latkes.  I do not get them enough.

(c)han(n)uk(k)a(h)

There you go.

But the correct spelling is:
חנוכה

@CollectorOfMyst it is correct!  The singing during lighting candles is the blessings.  There's also a lot of other songs associated with and about the holiday.  ^.^

@The Angry Goat@CollectorofMyst  Chanukkah's over now.  It's also really low-key, or at least it's supposed to be.  I ended up with more parties than I expected, but it's because I'm in more groups than I used to be.  @.@  And I got to sing the dreidle song at the one for my synagogue.  That and latkes with my pagan friend are my priorities, after candles.  ^.^

Hey.  Hey Goat.  Pssst.  Give me something to make a dreidle out of!

And Myst, unless you use Hebrew letters there is no proper spelling.  There's at least four standard ones -- and honestly, so long as you kinda come close, people understand.  Sorta like with that one guy's name.  You know, Bandcamp Callback?

@Vena Sera I"m currently a mess, and may be delayed.  Hopefully not significantly.  X.x

@CollectorOfMyst Look who I see!

@Stern Algorithm It's okay.  *snugs*

@Drakey *throws things at*

Just kidding.  You take care, alright?

@Draken I think Lovejoy said we had something like a month of free time.

@Lovejoy@Scout It's not just her.  Pic is borked.

shylarah Member

the crazy one

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