Isn't it Hannakuh or something now? My calendar says Hannakuh began at sunset tonight.

[Mind_your_head]

Is that right? What do y'all do for Hannakuh? And is it okay if I say "Happy Hannukuh" to those that are celebrating?

[Maat]

1. Being a good Unitarian Universalist,

I was wondering the same thing.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. I believe it did start tonight...

And yes, saying Happy Hanukkah is the correct thing to say to your Jewish friends!

It's also called the Festival of Lights.

Google it, and find out!

Or Widipedia...

[aquart]

3. Yes. We lit candles. Ate potato pancakes.

You can say whatever you please. It's a gussied up solstice festival. Probably from the Egyptian celebration of the goose that ate the sun (golden egg). From the indoeuropean root ghans which means goose. Yes, the biggie Jewish festivals have indoeuropean roots, not hamito-semitic ones. Makes you wonder.

[villager]

4. Well, they're all solstice festivals, yes? Light in dark times, etc.

Synagogue Sunday school here, btw... I always talk about the synchronicity of these holidays, like everyone having a "carnivale" in Spring, to celebrate rebirth (in the Pesach tale, we go through a "narrow passage" and salt water -- hmm... like birth itself!)

I guess I probably couldn't teach in an Orthodox shul! ;-)

Happy Merry, everyone!

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Really? That's not what dictionaries say

Merriam-Webster: "Etymology: Hebrew ḥănukkāh dedication"

The Hebrew word for Dedicate is : chaònak, (pronounced khaw-nak' )

A primitive root; properly to narrow; Figuratively to initiate or discipline:—dedicate, train up.

http://www.cammbooks.com.au/docs/bibleteaching/christ/DEDICATION%20SERVICE%20-%201%20January2006.doc

And Egypt, in language terms, is not Indoeuropean, of course, but Afroasiatic (which replaced the term 'Hamito-Semitic') - the Egyptian language family, of which just Coptic remains, is one branch, while the present-day language of Egypt, Arabic, is Semitic, like Hebrew. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afroasiatic_languages

[aquart]

9. Egyptian is definitely not indoeuropean.

I'm glad you're satisfied with the false Hebrew derivation. You probably believe Sukkos means "booths" and not "pig." Sukko is Celtic for "pig" which is kind of weird till you realize how many Celts were in the area. The Pig Holiday is the Roman Themophoria which was big in the Mediterranean and different localities had their own names for the big pig festival. The little extras in Purim are the giveaway.

Purim means fires. Special, sacred fires.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. What has Purim got to do with Sukkot?

Despite the references to tabernacles for that holiday going way back in the bible, you're going to claim there were a lot of Celts around in ancient Israel, killing pigs, are you? And claim the Romans were controlling Old Testament festivals too?

:wow:

At least you've stopped claiming Hannukah is Indoeuropean. Or are you claiming that the Israelites took a feast from Egypt, but gave it an Indoeuropean name that had nothing to d owith the Egyptian or Hebrew language, just for the hell of it?

[robinlynne]

5. YES. It started today.

[tblue]

6. We're lighting our menorah in a few minutes. Late, but oh well.

My son is getting a present. Sometimes we play dreidel. We have yet to do all 8 nights. We are nit religious -- it's more of a cultural thing.

[Loudmxr]

7. And its my birthday!! So my friends lit one candle and a whole bunch others for me.

Not bad for the goy boy.:party:

[fizzgig]

11. it did

my menorah is still packed from the move, but i'll try to dig it out today and light the candles tonight.

we won't do chanukah dinner until wednesday, but it'll be our standard matzo ball soup and latkes and i'm going to try to get to my dad's to bake some challah tomorrow.

i'm particularly excited about dinner this year because my best friend who's been living in germany for the last four years is in town and this is the first time since we've know each other we'll be able to do dinner together :)

[surrealAmerican]

12. You light candles and eat greasy foods.

It would be appropriate to say, "Happy Chanukah" to those who you know celebrate. Just remember to stop saying that next week, when the holiday is over.