Channukah is Not A Pagan Holiday
By
James Scott Trimm
Each year I hear certain individuals claim that certain Channukah elements originate from Christmas or from Saturnalia (the pagan Roman festival from which Christmas originates).
Now there certainly have been some customs that some have incorporated into their observances of Channukah that originate from Christmas, things such as a “Channukah Bush” (essentially a Christmas tree) or having “Channukah Harry” deliver Channukah gifts for the children. Like the two mentioned, these tend to be fairly recent.
However their are also to elements of Christmas that appear to have been copied from Channukah, and some of these may surprise you.
The 25th of the Month
It is hard to miss the fact that Channukah begins on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Chislev, while Christmas occurs on the 25th of the closely corresponding month of December.
While this may be a coincidence, it probably is not. The Winter solstice itself occurs between December 20th and 23rd depending on the year. The pagan festival of Saturnalia was celebrated on December 17th (Julian) and later expanded to encompass December 17th thru 23rd. Though it is true that sometime between the 1st and 4th Centuries followers of Roman Mithraism (distinct from earlier Persian Mithraism) celebrated the birth of Mitha on December 25th. The question is, did early Gentile Christians adopt December 25th as their date for Christmas because Jews celebrated Channukah on Chislev 25th, or because Roman Mithra worshipers celebrated the birth oi Mitha on December 25th? We may never know.
A Festival of Lights
We read in 2Maccabees that the first Channukah was actually a belated Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles or Booths) Celebration. In 2Maccabees 1:9 Channukah is called “the feast of booths in the month of Chislev,” and later we read:
[3] They purified the sanctuary, and made another altar of sacrifice; then, striking fire out of flint, they offered sacrifices, after a lapse of two years, and they burned incense and lighted lamps and set out the bread of the Presence.
[4] And when they had done this, they fell prostrate and besought the Lord that they might never again fall into such misfortunes, but that, if they should ever sin, they might be disciplined by him with forbearance and not be handed over to blasphemous and barbarous nations.
[5] It happened that on the same day on which the sanctuary had been profaned by the foreigners, the purification of the sanctuary took place, that is, on the twenty-fifth day of the same month, which was Chislev.
[6] And they celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the feast of booths, remembering how not long before, during the feast of booths, they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals.
[7] Therefore bearing ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also fronds of palm, they offered hymns of thanksgiving to him who had given success to the purifying of his own holy place.
[8] They decreed by public ordinance and vote that the whole nation of the Jews should observe these days every year.
(2Maccabees 10:3-8 RSV)
It is important to realize that Sukkot was the original “festival of lights”:
Sukkot was known as the “Festival of Light”. The entire city of Jerusalem was filled with light from giant 75 feet (50 cubit) tall menorahs. (m.Sukkah 5:2–4; b.Sukkah 52b).
AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST FESTIVAL DAY OF TABERNACLES THEY DESCENDED TO THE COURT OF THE WOMEN WHERE THEY HAD MADE A GREAT ENACTMENT. THERE WERE THERE GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS WITH FOUR GOLDEN BOWLS ON THE TOP OF EACH OF THEM AND FOUR LADDERS TO EACH, AND FOUR YOUTHS DRAWN FROM THE PRIESTLY STOCK IN WHOSE HANDS WERE HELD JARS OF OIL CONTAINING ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY LOG WHICH THEY POURED INTO THE BOWLS. FROM THE WORN-OUT DRAWERS AND GIRDLES OF THE PRIESTS THEY MADE WICKS AND WITH THEM THEY KINDLED THE LAMPS; AND THERE WAS NOT A COURTYARD IN JERUSALEM THAT WAS NOT ILLUMINED BY THE LIGHT OF THE PLACE OF THE WATER-DRAWING.
(m.Sukkot 5:2-3)
FOUR LADDERS etc. A Tanna taught, the height of a candlestick was fifty cubits.
(b.Sukkot 52b)
It was for this reason that Sukkot was the original festival of lights. Channukah became a festival of lights partly because the first Channukah was a belated Sukkot celebration.
The theme of “Festival of Lights” transferred from Sukkot to Channukah and later to Christmas, in imitation of Channukah (not the other way around).
Exchanging Gifts
It may surprise some of you to know the origin of exchanging gifts at Channukah. We read in the Book of Ester concerning the institution of the Festival of Purim:
[20] And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,
[21] To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,
[22] As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
[23] And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;
[24] Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;
[25] But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
[26] Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,
[27] The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;
[28] And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.
[29] Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim.
[30] And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,
[31] To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.
[32] And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.
(Esther 9:20-32 KJV)
The exchanging of gifts is here (9:22) in context, part of a list of things that Jews did in general, because they were celebrating a festival of joy. While today the custom of exchanging gifts has remained only part of the observance of Channukah, it came into Channukah as part of the Jewish customs surrounding the celebration of a joyous festival in general. While the practice of exchanging gifts at Christmas we preceded by the Roman custom of exchanging gifts at Saturnalia, the practice of exchanging gifts at Channukah is actually a biblical custom of the general Jewish practices surrounding the celebration of celebrating a joyous festival.
The Channukah Menorah
Every year well meaning individuals attack the “nine branched menorah” used for Channukah. Their claim is that a menorah is supposed to have seven branches, and that a menorah with nine branches is counter to Torah or even “pagan”. The fact is that the Hebrew word “menorah” simply means “lamp” and does not refer only to the Temple Menorah. It is only the Temple menorah that must have seven branches. But other menorahs (lamps) for other purposes can have no branches (like my desk lamp) or five branches (like the lamp hanging in my dining room) or any other number of branches. Moreover a Channukah menorah (lamp) does not have to have nine “branches” or any branches at all. In fact a long plank with nails driven into it will do. I have a Channukah menorah with no branches, but just eight holes for eight candles and a separated place for a ninth candle. So a menorah is just a lamp, one can have many lamps for many purposes and they need not all have seven branches. And a Channukah menorah does not have to have branches at all.
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