Feast of Lights

American  

[feest uhv lahyts] / ˈfist əv ˈlaɪts /

noun

1. Hanukkah.

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Feast of Lights British  

noun

1. Judaism an English name for Hanukkah

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Usage

What is the Feast of Lights? The Feast of Lights is another name for Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish festival that commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century b.c.e. It usually occurs in December but can also happen in late November and can extend into January. Hanukkah, which can also be spelled Chanukah, is commonly interpreted as meaning “a dedication” in Hebrew. Less commonly, the holiday is called the Feast of Dedication. The name Feast of Lights is also not commonly used. Hanukkah is much more commonly referred to as the Festival of Lights. These names refer to the fact that it’s observed with the lighting of a multi-branched candelabrum called the menorah (or hanukiah or chanukiah). When it has nine candles, one of them is a “starter” (technically called the shammes) that’s used to light the other eight candles. One candle is lit on each subsequent evening of the celebration, until all are lit. Special prayers may be said during the lighting of each candle or at different times of each day. The tradition of lighting the menorah during Hanukkah is done to commemorate the story of a miracle. According to the story, when the Temple was rededicated, its lamps burned miraculously for a week, even though there was not enough oil to fuel them. The rededication of the Temple occurred after Judea was liberated from Syrian occupation by the Maccabees, a family of Jews led by Judas Maccabaeus. They defeated the Syrians under Antiochus IV around 165 b.c.e. The timing of Hanukkah is based on the Jewish calendar and varies from year to year. It is celebrated on the 25th day of the month of Kislev to the 2nd of Tevet. This most often corresponds to an eight-day period in December. Common ways of celebrating Hanukkah include giving gifts to children and loved ones, having family dinners, and eating special foods like latkes. Children sometimes play games with a traditional toy called a dreidel, a kind of four-sided top. Example: We gather to light the menorah for the Feast of Lights—Hanukkah!

Example Sentences

Channukah, Jewish Feast of Lights, of Dedication, came again last week to remind devotees that a man's home is not only his castle but his temple.

From Time Magazine Archive

S. Gregory Nyssen says that the Feast of Lights, and of the Baptism of Jesus Christ, was celebrated some days after that of His Nativity.

From A Righte Merrie Christmasse The Story of Christ-Tide by Behrend, Arthur C.

The Greek and Latin Churches still term Christmas the "Feast of Lights," and make it a period of brilliancy in Church and home.

From Yule-Tide in Many Lands by Bridgman, L. J. (Lewis Jesse)

She wrote shorter verses, too, and there are few Jewish boys and girls who have not recited or at least heard her stirring Chanukkah recitations, "The Feast of Lights," and "The Banner of the Jew."

From The New Land Stories of Jews Who Had a Part in the Making of Our Country by Levinger, Elma Ehrlich

This ancient Maccab�an festival faithful Jews still celebrate under the name of the Hanoukhah, the Feast of Lights.

From Stories of the Olden Time (Historical Series—Book IV Part I) by Various