Hanukkah

Hanukkah and Purim: What Do They Mean to the Christian Faith?

Written by Holy Branches on March 11, 2025. Posted in Hanukkah, Traditions. No Comments on Hanukkah and Purim: What Do They Mean to the Christian Faith?

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In addition to the seven biblically commanded feasts in Leviticus 23, some Christians observe Purim and Hanukkah. While these celebrations have been primarily Jewish throughout history, they offer a rich supplement to the faith of a Christian. They also serve to pass traditions on to the next generation that increase biblical understanding and, ultimately, understanding of God Himself!

Purim

The back story of Purim is the book of Esther. It’s an exciting story with plotting, scheming, suspense, and an unlikely hero. To summarize, God saved the Jewish people from destruction through Queen Esther, a young Jewish orphan, and Mordecai, the cousin who raised her. In Esther 9:20-22, Mordecai instituted Purim as an annual celebration to commemorate the deliverance of the Jews from the evil Haman who had plotted to destroy them. He said it would be a day of feasting, rejoicing, sending food gifts to one another, and giving gifts to the poor.

Purim doesn’t seem to have changed much since then. Lasting two days, it is still a joyful time of feasting. Gifts are still given to others, and charity is given to the poor. One of the most memorable Purim traditions is dressing up like characters from the story or wearing masks. Our Messianic Synagogue once had an Esther costume contest, and all the young women put on their best Queen Esther costume.

Another Purim tradition is reading the Megillah or the book of Esther. This reading is often done dramatically or theatrically, including omitting Haman’s name or booing each time his name is read.

Hamantachen are a traditional Purim dessert. They’re tri-cornered pastries with a sweet filling and are a tasty addition to the celebration. There are many different explanations for Hamantaschen being the official dessert of Purim, and the most common is that they’re made to represent Haman’s hat, ear, or pockets.

Hanukkah and Purim Are For Christians Too!

Aside from being fun to celebrate, why would a Christian be interested in celebrating Purim? What message does the book of Esther and, thus, Purim have for Gentiles? The simple answer is two-fold.

Having been grafted into God’s kingdom (Rom. 11:11-24), Christians are the Gentile version of God’s people, the Jews. The importance of the Jewish people to God cannot be overlooked when studying the Old Testament. It was God’s clear intention to send the Messiah to them (Rom. 1:16). Because many Jews rejected him as the Messiah, Gentiles, whose faith was in Jesus as Messiah, were then included in the Kingdom of God as well. This inclusion means that God’s promises, protection, and provision given to the Jewish people also apply to Christians. We celebrate His deliverance of the Jews in Esther’s time as our deliverance as God’s people.

The second reason Christians celebrate Purim is that it celebrates God’s faithfulness. As Christians, we are the living testimony to God’s eternal faithfulness, and that’s the hope we have to offer the Godless world. The story of Esther is just one of an endless list of examples of God’s protection and provision at a time that seemed hopeless for His people.

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Hanukkah (Chanukah)

With many different spellings in English, Hanukkah is also called the Feast of Dedication or the Festival of Lights. It celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple following a miraculous victory by a small number of Jews against a large army determined to extinguish them. Jewish traditions were outlawed under the Hellenistic Syrian rule of Antiochus IV (Antiochus Epiphanes). The Temple scrolls were confiscated, and Sabbath observation, adherence to a Kosher diet, and circumcision were punishable by death!

When forced to eat pork or offer sacrifices to foreign gods, many Jews were tortured and put to death. Idols were placed in the Temple. In the writings of Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, it’s recorded that pigs were sacrificed on the Temple altar. Some Jews protected themselves by simply assimilating with the Hellenistic culture. A few hid from the Syrians in caves in the hills of Judea.

A few Jews led by Judah called Maccabee decided to fight for the Torah and their God. Of course, Antiochus sent men to defeat them, but they were instead victorious! Antiochus sent another group, again defeated, and then organized a larger war effort of 40,000 men. Judah and his men were again victorious over a series of battles, though the odds were against them.

Upon their return to Jerusalem, they removed the idols from the Temple. The story goes that they found the Temple menorah gone and had to make another one. There was only one day’s worth of oil to light the menorah, and it would take eight days to make more. Since the menorah is supposed to stay lit, this posed a problem. They lit the menorah with the oil they had, and it stayed lit for the eight days it took to make more oil – a miracle.

Hanukkah’s most noticeable symbol today is the Hanukkiah, a modified menorah with nine lights. One more light is lit each night of Hanukkah until all lights are lit on the last night of Hanukkah. The ninth light is used to light the other candles. Traditional foods during Hanukkah are cooked in oil (in reference to the Temple Menorah story). Latkes, a fried potato pancake, and jelly doughnuts called sufganiyot are popular during Hanukkah. Another common symbol for this festival – the dreidel – represents the dreidel game played during the eight-day celebration.

The story behind Hanukkah is not in the Protestant bible. It’s found in the first and second books of the Maccabees and combined with Jewish legend. Observing an occasion found in an extrabiblical source makes many Christians uncomfortable, but the historical story’s main conclusion is one Christians can fully embrace. Like the time of Esther, the Jewish people were again faced with extinction and seemingly impossible circumstances. And yet again, God preserved them through His own means, by His own plan, to show His glory.

Another reason Hanukkah holds meaning for Christians is that we, as God’s people, also face persecution. American Christians are comfortable now due to our freedom to worship, but it may not always be that way, and that isn’t the case currently for Christians elsewhere in the world. God’s people have been and will be persecuted throughout history, but the faithful of us will stand for our God despite even horrific circumstances.

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Hanukkah celebrates the cleansing and rededication of the Temple. It was cleansed of idols and desecration and rededicated to God as it was meant to be. This concept should cause a Christian to look inward. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, our bodies are temples. As Christians, we should live our entire lives as a Hanukkah celebration – lives that celebrate our cleansing from sin through Jesus and our rededication to God as we accept him as our Savior and His Spirit lives in us! The Hanukkah story is a beautiful picture of the change that’s taken place in the souls of each Christian!

Furthermore, John 10:22-33 records Jesus celebrating the Feast of Dedication. If it was important enough to be observed by our Savior, it should also be important to us! On the Temple porch, he chooses this day to announce that he is the Messiah.

These two Jewish celebrations have much to offer when integrated into the Christian faith. Since Christians share a place with Jews in the Kingdom of God, Jewish religious festivals can also be meaningful to our faith. The messages of God’s sovereignty, deliverance, faithfulness, cleansing, and rededication are portrayed through stories and the celebrations they’re based upon. Observing Hanukkah and Purim has grown my family spiritually, and I believe it will benefit yours as well!

How Do the Biblical Feast Days Point to Jesus?

Written by Holy Branches on January 14, 2025. Posted in Hanukkah, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Sabbath, Shavuot, Sukkot, Yom Kippur. 5 Comments on How Do the Biblical Feast Days Point to Jesus?

You may have heard many Christians started observing the Biblical Feast Days. You may even have heard them claim these seven Feast Days point to Jesus as our Messiah. Since the connection between the commands to observe these days in Leviticus and our faith in Jesus as our Savior can be confusing, here’s an overview of these important days and how each relates to Jesus and, thus, to our faith.

I must add that salvation is not found in keeping the Feast Days or God’s commands. Salvation through works is a significant misconception about the Hebrew Roots Movement and the source of many people’s objection to Christians keeping The Holy Days or following the commands of the Torah. Salvation is found in Jesus alone and is based on the grace we’ve been given through Jesus’s sacrifice, not on our adherence to God’s laws (Eph. 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5). We follow His laws only out of love and respect for God and His commands and because His grace has saved us, not because the obedience itself will save us. On the other hand, although the laws don’t save us, we shouldn’t blatantly disregard the way God wants us to live. We should instead delight in His perfect laws (Psalm 1:2, 19:7, and 40:8)!

This article is a basic overview; the verses I give for each refer only to the command. All these observances are mentioned elsewhere in the Bible as well. Click on the day’s name for a more in-depth explanation of how it relates to the Christian faith and can be celebrated in a Christian home.

Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts Expanded Edition: Discovering Their Significance to You as a Christian

The Sabbath (Lev. 23:3 and Ex. 20:8-11)

Known as “Shabbat” in Hebrew, this Feast Day occurs weekly. The Sabbath is a day to rest and to keep holy – that is, to focus on our God and Savior.

Jesus said that he is “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matt. 12:8 and Mark 2:28). In addition to revealing his divine nature in this verse, having been there at the creation of the universe, Jesus took part in the creation of the Sabbath when God first declared it (John 1:1-5, Gen. 1:26 and 2:3).

Jesus is our “Sabbath rest” (Hebrews 4). As believers, we can rest in our salvation and observe the Sabbath just as God did. We should strive to align our behavior with what God desires of us despite and because of our salvation. However, we can rest in the mercy and grace we’ve been given and approach God with no shame after repenting and turning from our sin.

Passover (Lev. 23:5 and Exodus 12)

“Pesach” in Hebrew, this Feast is a remembrance of the Passover and the resultant exodus from slavery in Egypt. During the Passover, the blood of the Passover Lamb on the doorposts of the Hebrew people saved them from the final plague of the death of the firstborn.

John the Baptist prophetically calls Jesus “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). After Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection, Paul refers to him as “our Passover” (1 Cor. 5:7). What these two men realized is that the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb that saved the Hebrew people foreshadowed the sacrifice Jesus made that saves us today!

Jesus also tells us he’ll celebrate The Passover with us again someday (Mark 14:24-25 and Luke 22:15-16). Wow! What an exciting Feast to look forward to!

Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:6-8 and Exodus 12:15-20)

Also called “Chag HaMatzot,” this week-long Feast occurs during the week of Passover. It’s generally a time to remember the Passover further. Being in a hurry to leave Egypt when Pharaoh finally allowed them to, they didn’t have time to leaven their dough and had to cook and eat unleavened bread.

The command for this Feast is to remove all leaven (also called “chametz”) from one’s household and to eat none for seven days. “Leaven” or yeast is a biblical reference to sin or corruption. When something is described as “unleavened,” it’s pure or uncorrupted.

For example, when yeast is placed in bread, it spreads until it is in the entire batch. Think about people you know who have let a minor sin enter their lives; likewise, it spreads and spreads and sometimes ends up ruining lives. Think about a married man who friends an old girlfriend on social media and what damage this tiny action can lead to.

Jesus, our “bread of life,” was able to be the only atoning sacrifice for our sin because he was “unleavened” or uncorrupted by sin. Having adhered to the entire law (Torah), his perfection made his crucifixion the one-time blood sacrifice that could cover the sins of all mankind forever.

In 1 Cor. 5:6-7, Paul explains that a bit of leaven leavens the whole lump. Even if we lead perfect lives, we cannot achieve perfection, causing us not to be able to experience true communion with God. Having to clean out all the leaven in every nook and cranny of our homes reminds us that even the tiniest bits of sin left in the nooks and crannies of our hearts must be dealt with. If not, they will indeed “leaven the whole lump” and spread throughout our lives and those around us.

How blessed are we? Jesus has dealt with each crumb of leaven in our hearts so that we can approach God pure and “unleavened” as well!

First Fruits (Lev. 23:9-14)

Called “Yom Bikkurim” (the Day of First Fruits) or “Reshit Katzir” (beginning of the harvest) in Hebrew, this Feast Day is the dedication of the future harvest to God, which was demonstrated by waving a sheaf of green barley before God. It begins the 49-day countdown to The Feast of Weeks, the next Feast. The command also includes sacrificing a blemish-free male lamb as well. However, this part can only be done with the Temple.

Here’s another Feast Day that Paul sheds light on for us. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, he tells us that Jesus is the “first fruits” to both the dead and those “in Christ” when Jesus returns to Earth. Just as the First Fruits Feast offerings looked forward to the future harvest, so did Jesus’s resurrection. He came to save us and will raise the dead and rule the Earth when he returns! What a glorious day that will be!

Feast of Weeks (Lev. 23:15-21)

“Shavuot,” in Hebrew, means “weeks,” and is another name for this Feast. It’s more commonly known among Christians as Pentecost (which means “fifty”). It marks the 50th day after the original Passover, the day God gave His law (Torah) to His people on Mount Sinai. It’s called the Feast of Weeks because the counting was to be done in weeks. The command says to count seven Sabbaths (seven weeks) from the Day of First Fruits until this Feast.

Before his ascension into Heaven, 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus foretold what would happen on the day the apostles celebrated The Feast of Weeks. In the first chapter of Acts, Jesus tells them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promised Holy Spirit.

Sure enough, just as he said, the apostles were celebrating the Feast of Weeks ten days later, thanking God for giving His Word on Mount Sinai. During this celebration, they received the Word in their hearts just as was prophesied (Jer. 31:31-33 and Joel 2:28-29). While they thanked God for His Word, His Word entered their hearts as the Holy Spirit indwelt them.

Jesus said that he had to leave so that they could receive the Holy Spirit, and that’s precisely what happened. The Word was given on Mount Sinai, then lived among us, personified in Jesus, and then the Word was given to each believer personally through the Holy Spirit!

Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:23-25)

A Shofar or Ram’s horn. A type of “trumpet” discussed in the Bible.

Commonly called Rosh Hashanah due to its designation as the first day of the Jewish New Year, this day is called Yom Teruah in the Hebrew Bible. The command says it is a Sabbath, and trumpets (or shofars – rams’ horns) are to be blown, along with a sacrifice brought to the Temple. Biblically, it’s not the New Year but is a method of numbering and counting the years.

Generally, the creation of the universe is celebrated, and it marks the beginning of the “Ten Days of Awe,” which continues over the year’s remaining Feast Days. This ten-day period is a time of introspection where each person evaluates their life, repents for sin, and resolves to live more according to God’s will.

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We must first understand the “Teruah” to fully understand this Feast. More than just the noise of a trumpet blast, this was the same call made by the priests when the wall of Jericho fell. It’s the one used when King David returned the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, and it will be the one heard on “the Day of The Lord” (Zeph. 1:16). This type of trumpet blast (or even shouting) is like a call to war or a celebration of a victory of God or His people.

The Feast of Trumpets is when we anticipate Jesus’s return to Earth. Jesus gives a chilling explanation of this day in Matthew 24. He says that after the sun, moon, and stars are darkened, and the powers of the heavens are shaken (woah…), the trumpet call will bring his elect from the Earth’s four corners. “His elect”? That’s us, Christian Brothers and Sisters! And so we remember to blow our trumpets yearly on The Day of Trumpets. And in the meantime, we wait… And listen for the trumpets…

And in the meantime, we wait… And listen for the trumpets…

As we think of a new year beginning and prepare our hearts for Yom Kippur, we can focus on repentance and re-aligning our lives with God’s will. An honest and prayerful examination of our lives can highlight the sin we must deal with and the changes we must make.

This process will naturally bring us to a state of thankfulness for our Savior. We can repent, turn from our sin, and know that his unselfish sacrifice on the cross covers it.

Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:26-32)

Also called Yom Kippur (the Day of Coverings), this was the only day of the year that the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies and make a sin sacrifice for God’s people. He was the only one who could stand between them and God to make atonement, and only on this day, according to specific procedures. Without the Temple to make these sacrifices today, the Jewish people see this as the day that God writes our names in the Book of Life or the Book of Death, depending on which we deserve.

As Christians, we see this day a bit differently, of course. While focusing on repentance, we can also celebrate and be grateful for the sacrifice that made atonement for our sin, Jesus. He is also our high priest (Heb. 4:14-15 and 8:1-6) and is therefore qualified to make atonement for our sins. Furthermore, if we profess Jesus as our Savior, we know that our names are already written in the Book of Life, so we can thank God for that!

Prophetically, we can also look forward to the day when Jesus returns as judge. Although one judgment was carried out when Jesus was crucified, there remains a Judgement Day for those who have rejected him. There are also a few places in the Bible (Matt. 12:36-37, 1 Cor. 3:13, and 2 Cor. 5:10) indicating that, as Christians, our actions will be judged as well (although not with gravity equal to those not in Christ). Because of this, we all must closely examine our actions and the fruit of our lives and further align with God’s will.

Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:33-36, 39-43)

This Feast is also referred to as the Feast of Booths or Sukkot (“booths” or “tabernacles” in Hebrew). It’s traditionally a time to remember God’s provisions for His people and His dwelling or “tabernacling” with His people. The command includes living in a temporary dwelling for the week.

Celebrating Biblical Feasts: In Your Home or Church By Martha Zimmerman

Many Christians use this time of the year to celebrate the time Jesus spent tabernacling with us, from birth to resurrection. Sukkot is a time to celebrate God’s dwelling with His people. Jesus was precisely that! He is God and came to Earth as a man to walk with us!

We can also thank God for His provision and blessings during this time. Yes, He gives us more than we need in a material sense, but He also does in a spiritual sense. Being the sinful people we all are, we’re separated from God and in dire need of a way to Him that we can’t provide ourselves. Although we’re undeserving of it, God chose to give us a second chance. He sent Jesus so we could approach God even though we were unworthy. That’s the best blessing of all!

Many places in the Bible foretell a time when God will dwell with us again. The Feast of Tabernacles is when we can look forward to the Wedding Feast in Revelation. Jesus—the groom—will finally be united with us, his people—his bride—and there will be a great, joyful Wedding Feast! What an event to behold! I can’t wait, can you?!

All these Feasts point to Jesus in powerful yet unique ways. Bringing these traditions into your Christian faith will provide reminders of the part we all have in God’s Kingdom and of our eternal Savior and what he’s done in the past, what he’s doing right now, and what he will do in the future. Celebrate Jesus throughout the year—on the Feast Days and every day!

Holidays for Christians to Observe in Honor of Their Hebraic Roots

Written by Holy Branches on December 26, 2024. Posted in Hanukkah, Hebraic Roots, Passover, Purim, Rosh Hashanah, Shavuot, Sukkot, Traditions, Yom Kippur. 1 Comment on Holidays for Christians to Observe in Honor of Their Hebraic Roots

If you’re just here for the free printable calendar, get yours here!

The celebration of Passover has become more common among Christians in recent years. This celebration is so beneficial because Passover has many elements that point to our Messiah and highlight the greatness of our God and His love for us!

But did you know other holidays celebrate our God and Savior while honoring the Jewish history of our faith? Some of them are Biblical, and others are traditionally Jewish in our culture but also have implications for us as Gentile believers.

Adding these significant days to your family’s legacy can enrich and deepen your faith and help you pass it on to your children and others. It can even bring you and your family closer to God and Jesus as we learn more about them through observation of these meaningful times.

Here are some that are the most directly connected to the practice of our faith as Christians, especially as it relates to our Jewish roots.

Purim (פּוּרִים)

Purim is the celebration of God’s deliverance of the Jewish people through Queen Esther. A man named Haman was plotting their destruction, but Esther bravely approached the king and revealed her identity as a Jew to encourage him to save her people. He did and had Haman executed instead.

As Christians, we’re familiar with persecution and how God orchestrates historical events that affect His people. We can celebrate that Esther was in the place she was because God knew what the need for her to be there would be and made her an instrument for His plan.

Purim is a fun celebration. Both children and adults dress as characters from the story and act it out in dramatic fashion. It is held on the 14th day of Adar on the Hebrew calendar, corresponding to February or March on our Gregorian calendar.

Passover (פֶסַח- Pesach)

This celebration commemorates God’s rescuing the Israelites from slavery under the Egyptians. Its relevance to Christians is very basically two-fold. Firstly, since we are also God’s people, we have a part in this history, and secondly, we have been rescued from the slavery of our sin by the blood of Jesus.

Biblically, Passover is to be celebrated on the “fourteenth day of the first month.” On the Hebrew calendar, it starts on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan, which corresponds with our Gregorian calendar, which is sometime in March or April.

Holocaust Remembrance Day (יוֹם הַשׁוֹאָה – Yom HaShoah)

This somber observance was established in 1953. It’s a national holiday in Israel to remember the Holocaust in Europe during World War II and the murder of over six million Jewish people, including children. This remembrance occurs on the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar, during March or April.

Why should Gentile (non-Jew) Christians observe Holocaust Remembrance Day? Romans 1:16 tells us that salvation came first to the Jew and then to the Greek (Rom. 1:16). Christians are the Gentile believers that are “grafted in” to the promises to God’s people described in Romans 11.

Throughout the Old Testament, God clarifies that the Jewish people are His chosen people. He made a covenant with Abraham concerning their lineage throughout history and brought the Savior to the world through the Jewish line. God also says that He will never abandon the Jewish people.

If the Jewish people are this important to God and are the roots of the tree we’re grafted into; we must be concerned with their well-being in our day and throughout history. The tragedy that struck as the Holocaust brutally and senselessly extinguished the lives of so many people precious to God (Jews and others) must never be forgotten, and its horrors never repeated.

Pentecost and Shavuot (שָׁבוּעוֺת)

I combine these two celebrations because they’re similar in meaning and history. Before the Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire and inhabited the Apostles in Acts 2, this time was known as Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks.

It was commanded in Leviticus 23 and was a type of harvest festival that was to occur 50 days after the Passover. Also recognized on this date is the gift of God’s Laws being given to His people on Mt. Sinai. Shavuot is what the Apostles were celebrating when they were “gathered” when God’s Spirit was given to them.

They would have realized the significance of the gift of God’s Spirit being given specifically on this day during a celebration of the gift of God’s Word being given as well. Jesus also foretold it when he said they’d be baptized by the Spirit in Acts 1:4-5.

The command says it is to take place on the 6th and 7th of the month of Sivan. It is to be observed 50 days (or 7 Sabbaths and one day) after the Day of Firstfruits during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (when the Passover and Exodus from Egypt occurred).

Rosh Hashanah (רֹאשׁ הַשִּׁנִה)

This holiday is commonly known as the Jewish New Year and is called Yom Teruah in the Bible. It was designated the first day of the new year primarily for year-counting purposes, but it’s also one of the commanded Feasts in Leviticus 23. It was a two-day festival during which trumpets (shofars) were blown and sacrifices were performed.

Today, it marks the beginning of the High Holy Days in Autumn. It’s a time when people examine their lives, seek to rid them of their old, sinful ways, and make a change for the better. In this way, it’s a lot like the American New Year, but it’s also a type of Judgment Day or the beginning of a season of judgment for the Jewish people.

Christians can remember on Rosh Hashanah that we will be judged with Jesus as our substitute. We can also examine our lives and see whether we’re living in a way that expresses the joy of this salvation. The command to blow a trumpet on this day should cause us to look forward to the day when Jesus has returned and the dead are raised (1 Cor. 15:52).

The Feast of Trumpets occurs on the 1st and 2nd days of the month of Tishrei on the Hebrew calendar and in September or October on the Gregorian calendar.

Day of Atonement (יוֹם כִּיפּוּר – Yom Kippur)

This Holy Day is another of the commanded Feasts in Leviticus 23. It’s observed ten days after Rosh Hashanah and is a day of confession and repentance. Biblically, it was a day when sacrifices were offered for the people’s sins. As Christians, this is a day we can celebrate the mercy we have been given in having our sins fully atoned for by Jesus!

The date is the 10th of Tishrei, which occurs in September or October.

Feast of Tabernacles (סֻכּוֺת- Sukkot)

Another Holy Day from Leviticus 23, Sukkot, is a seven-day celebration, five days after the Day of Atonement. Also known as the Feast of Booths, it is a time when people leave the comfort of their homes and live in temporary shelters.

This celebration serves to appreciate God’s provision for us and to celebrate God being among His people on earth. Christians can be even more thankful at the time of Sukkot for Jesus, who, as God, came down to earth to be with us.

Eighth Day (שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת – Shimini Atzeret)

This day is the day just following the last day of Sukkot. It’s on the 22^nd day of Tishrei, which falls in September or October. It is the final commanded Feast in the List in Leviticus 23.

It’s a day to remain with God and rest in His provision, even after the previous seven have been focused on Him. This day is more spiritual and considered greater than the 7 of Sukkot. A formal prayer for rain is often said, and it’s said to be a time to store the memories of what God has provided in our hearts.

Simchat Torah (שִׂמְחַת תּוֺרָה)

This celebration is not in the Bible but is a great way to thank and praise God for giving us His Word! It’s held on the 22nd day of Tishrei and is also known as “rejoicing in the Torah.”

Jews and Christians enjoy the immense blessing through the words and commands God Gave us in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and the rest of His Word. Simchat Torah’s joyful celebration marks the end of the annual Torah reading cycle and the beginning of a new one. When celebrated in a synagogue, there is dancing and singing, and it’s a beautiful time of worship.

Hanukkah (הֲנֻכָּה)

Although not a commanded Holy Day, Jesus celebrates it in the Book of John. It commemorates the dedication of the rebuilt temple after the Babylonians destroyed Solomon’s temple.

The story of Hanukkah is miraculous. The Jewish people were vastly outnumbered as they decided to fight against the destruction of their people and culture and the blasphemy of God. God was with them as they fought, and they were victorious!

Celebrated from the 25th of Kislev to the 2nd or 3rd day of Tevet on the Hebrew calendar, Hanukkah falls in late November or December.

Christians can celebrate God’s power displayed in His people and the victory over persecution. We are also interested in this day as we can see Jesus having shown up in Jerusalem for its celebration, translated as the Feast of Dedication. At this time, Jesus said that his sheep would never perish and that no one could snatch them out of his or His Father’s hand.

Here’s a calendar of the dates of these important days. Print out the free PDF version to keep handy in planning for these days.

Having a Jewish calendar to see what holidays are approaching and plan for them is helpful. Many are out there, but I like the First Fruits of Zion calendar best!

I hope observing these holidays brings you joy, deepens your Christian faith, and provides yet another way to pass your faith on in your family’s legacy, as they have for my family. I’ll continue to post ways for Christian families to observe these meaningful days on the Hebrew Roots Mom website, so stay tuned!

Resolutions: The New Year and Beyond

Written by Holy Branches on December 26, 2024. Posted in Hanukkah, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Sabbath, Shavuot, Sukkot, Traditions, Yom Kippur. No Comments on Resolutions: The New Year and Beyond

This time of year, it seems everyone’s thinking about resolutions – losing weight, quitting smoking, reading their bible more, etc. But we’ve also heard that statistics show these resolutions often don’t last long. People stick to them for the first few weeks or months of the New Year and then return to their previous ways.

But what if there was more than one New Year’s Eve? What if there were a few more times in the year marked for a reassessment of our lives and the making of resolutions with the overall goal of bettering ourselves? Just think of who we’d be and what we could accomplish if we routinely adjusted the direction of our lives.

A GPS navigation system recalculates our route if we get off track. If we take a wrong turn or go straight instead of turning left, the system recalculates the course, ensuring that we still reach our destination despite deferring from the path we should be on.

Fortunately, we can do the same with our lives! Though we may be dedicated to God and genuinely want to follow His plan, we all veer off the route He has for us. It takes repeated examination, re-dedication, and re-adjustment to stay where God wants us.

Enter the Holy Days

Recalculating the route is what I love about celebrating the Biblical Holy Days. That’s one purpose of them – introspection and examination of our lives, re-aligning them with God’s plan. Each of these set-aside times also points us back to Jesus! This re-alignment is done many times yearly, and celebrating these days helps my family and I continually recalculate the routes our lives are on. Here are some of those times.

The Sabbath

God commands us to “remember” the Sabbath and keep it holy. But what exactly are we to remember? Ezekiel chapter 20 (verses 12 and 20) tells us that the Sabbath is a sign that we belong to God. Keeping the Sabbath is our acknowledgment of the covenant God made with us.

Our activities on the Sabbath should then point us to Him and remind us of Him and His goodness. The Sabbath, combined with Bible study and attending services, should encourage us to look at our lives weekly and see where we need to make changes to adhere more closely to the will of God.

The Sabbath also provides a time to rest before the next busy week. It gives us time to plan the days ahead and make the necessary changes to help us be more effective weekly.

Passover

The themes of Passover will also encourage close examination of our lives. That we are no longer slaves to Egyptian captors or to sin causes us to recall all God has done for His people. We could never have obtained this freedom for ourselves. Just as the blood of the lamb freed the Hebrew people from Egypt, Jesus, our Passover Lamb, freed us from the sin that enslaved us.

Think of God’s faithfulness to all His people. In the most challenging times, God can free you from what afflicts you, often working a miracle in your life as he did throughout Exodus. Nothing is too hard for God, and there is no limit to how good your life can be when following Him.

Passover brings a question of identity to mind. Who are we? Or, instead – whose are we? The answer for Christians is that we belong to God. He is the one who rescued us and the one who provided a way to Him despite our sinfulness. As His people, we mature in our faith and begin to learn to look at ourselves through His eyes. While He loves, accepts, and forgives us with our flaws, our desire to obey Him grows as our love for Him does.

Unleavened Bread

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is seven days where leaven (yeast) is not only not eaten but also cleaned out of homes altogether. The Bible often uses leaven as a symbol of sin or wickedness. Cleaning leaven out of your home and diet for seven days is difficult! Think of all the crumbs in your pantry or even under your fridge!

The cleanout of leaven causes us to look closer at the sin in our lives. If we’re honest, it’s there on the surface but also in the dark pantry-type corners of our lives! We must constantly be on the lookout for the crumbs of sin in our lives and get rid of them before we end up with a filthy mess. We must also do the more unpleasant cleaning in the parts of our life we’d rather ignore – like that mess under the fridge. During this period, we should sincerely evaluate our lives and identify where sin has been festering, then work to make ourselves more pleasing to God.

Cleaning sin out of our lives should also awaken us to the grace we’ve received. Isn’t it amazing that God knows we aren’t capable of a flawless cleanout and has provided us with a perfectly leaven-free Savior – a gift so indescribably good it makes even a clean home seem like chopped liver!

First Fruits

First Fruits is a Spring festival that celebrates the fertility of the land as a blessing from God. Part of this new growth (a lamb without defect along with wine and bread) is given back to God as an offering and show of gratitude for His blessings. In the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 explains that Jesus is the first fruits.

Just like the Holy Day of First Fruits, which is to recognize ahead of time the blessings that God will give, Paul shows in Corinthians that Jesus’s resurrection assures us of the blessing we’ll receive in the harvest at the end of time. We look ahead to when we’ll commune with God, and Jesus will rule.

Looking forward to this time in the future should prompt us to be grateful and prepare ourselves as offerings. We need to do all we can to align our lives with what God wants of us and be continually and earnestly hunting for what that looks like.

Shavuot

This celebration commemorates the Law God gave to the Hebrew people on Mount Sinai. Also known as The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, this is what the apostles were celebrating when the Holy Spirit was given in Acts 2. Shavuot is a reminder that God gave us His Law as a blessing and that the Holy Spirit is the Law written on our hearts that was prophesied by Jeremiah (31:33).

Messianic Calendar For 2024 And 2025 Includes Torah Days And Holy Days: Plus Jewish Holy Day Explanations (Hebrew, Jewish and Messianic Calendars for Jew and Gentile)

But do we see God’s Laws as a blessing? Or do we compromise, justify our disobedience, and declare that certain ancient Laws don’t apply to us? Shavuot is a time to thank God for His Law and to delight in it as the Psalmist does in chapter 1, verse 2. It’s a time to take a close look at our actions and see whether there’s truth in saying that we aim to obey them and delight in them. We should reflect on how God’s Law has improved our lives and its blessing for all his people. How can we better please God by following his commands?

Shavuot is also when we thank God for the gift of His Spirit. Having the Holy Spirit dwelling in us serves many functions, confirmation of our salvation being just one of many. He’s also our guide and convicts us when we need to change the course of our lives. As we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit, we pay special attention to whether we’re listening to this conviction and guidance and adjust our hearts, minds, and actions accordingly.

Yom Teruah

Also known as Rosh Hashanah, this Feast gives many reasons for introspection and re-calculation of the routes of our lives. Celebrating our names being written in the Book of Life, remembering the story of Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac (Gen. 22), casting off sin, and calling attention to trumpet blasts are all themes of this celebration.

These themes should make us want to audit our behavior and encourage us to make adjustments. The Bible says the names of the righteous are written in the Book of Life. Sin in all our lives prevents us from being wholly righteous, which is why we can celebrate the gift we have in Jesus, who stands in our place just as God provided a ram to stand in Isaac’s place.

But just because we have Jesus as our substitute does not mean we don’t try our best to obey. It’s not to earn our salvation that we obey but out of love for God. Focusing on repentance provokes change. I always tell my children when they say apologize that sorry people change. If they’re genuinely sorry, I’ll see it in their actions, not just their words. It’s the same with us and God. Being genuinely sorry will change us noticeably.

We also focus on trumpet blasts at this time. The original command for this celebration includes the blowing of trumpets. This trumpet blowing is not just for musical enjoyment or celebratory noise. This type of trumpet blowing, using a ram’s horn or shofar, is Biblically an indication that God’s about to do something big! Other times trumpet blasts of this type are used is when the wall of Jericho was brought down or when Jesus returns (Joshua 6:20 and 1 Thess. 4:16-17, respectively)!

We often forget the supernatural aspects of God, and the trumpet blasts remind us that the miraculous events in the bible are REAL and not just stories. If we believe that, we should look forward to Jesus’s return and listen for the accompanying trumpet blasts, for real! If this doesn’t motivate us to ponder our lives and make necessary adjustments, I don’t know what will!

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is also known as the Day of Atonement because it’s on this day that confession of and atonement for sin is to be made. This atonement is as a people, not necessarily an individual level. We’re apologizing for the things we’ve done to turn away from God as His people, not just for the individual disobedience in our own lives.

There are two things a Christian can focus on during Yom Kippur. The first is the honest and humble confession of sin. Yes, we can do this on any day of the year, but this day, set aside for confession, reminds us to do so when we may otherwise forget. Some pray and fast on Yom Kippur because it’s a time when we’re genuinely sorry and commit to change.

The other focus is that Jesus has eternally atoned for our sins! While we’re repentant, we’re also grateful for the undeserved grace we’ve been given. Even if we were to maintain a “good” life, we cannot earn our salvation and deserve condemnation. But that’s not our destiny if we’ve received Jesus as our Savior, and that’s something we should be humbly grateful for.

Sukkot

If we take even a glance at our lives, we’ll see that God has richly blessed us. This day is to celebrate what God has given us – food, shelter, and everything we need. He not only meets our needs; He goes above and beyond to provide for His people. In our culture, we often take these things for granted, and his graciousness is difficult to see, but Sukkot encourages us to see it for what it is – lavish blessings on His people!

He not only meets our physical needs but, more importantly, our spiritual needs. Among all other provisions, He’s also provided Jesus as a way for our sin debt to be paid. A theme of Sukkot is that God tabernacled with His people in the desert. He didn’t just observe them from Heaven; he was with them on their travels, guiding them. This guidance is the same thing Jesus does for us! He came from Heaven to Earth to live among us and become the provision for our sin.

Sukkot prompts us to look around again and see what God has done. He’s met and continues to meet our needs, especially the most desperate – the need for a Savior. Acknowledging this should alter the way we live. If we’re grateful, we will grumble and complain less about what we don’t have. We’ll show our gratitude for forgiveness by extending it to others, as well as repenting for sin and striving to live obedient lives.

While not one of the seven appointed times in the book of Leviticus, Hanukkah is also an excellent time for resolutions. This celebration is all about re-dedication – both of God’s Temple and ourselves. Hanukkah celebrates the amazing things God has done for His people and our re-dedication to Him of what was His in the first place.

Hanukkah is a time to consider what or who we stand for. Having to state what we stand for seems optional when we live in a time and place that’s one of comfort and little persecution. But Christians everywhere don’t enjoy this type of comfort now, and we probably won’t experience it forever, either. Even our daily actions will show what we stand for, though. An honest review of our lives will show who we serve and where we need to get back on track.

So, go ahead and make that resolution for the New Year. But revisit it soon! If you don’t already celebrate the Biblical Holy Days, getting started is easier than you think! Visit the pages linked above to read more about each Holy Day on this website. Happy New Year!

Busy Mom’s Cheater Latke Recipe

Written by Holy Branches on December 19, 2024. Posted in Hanukkah. 1 Comment on Busy Mom’s Cheater Latke Recipe

Like most of you, before a holiday, I always plan activities, crafts, special meals, etc. Hanukkah’s no exception. Traditions are wonderful for teaching and bringing everyone together but they do take more time and effort, which can be difficult during a time when more our schedules are full.

I used this recipe for our Hanukkah latkes one year when finding the time to shred potatoes and make latkes from scratch seemed overwhelming. But my family loved it so much that it’s become the one we use every year! No judgement to those of you making your latkes the old fashioned way but here’s a recipe for those of us who welcome a shortcut!

This recipe feeds a crowd! It makes about 30-ish medium latkes. I have a crowd to feed at my house but you’ll have to cut this recipe down if you have only a few people.

I’ve heard these can be made in the air fryer too. If you try it, let me know in the comments how they come out!

Bonus: Here’s a hilarious song to listen to while you cook your latkes!

Printer-friendly PDF version

Ingredients

12 eggs

10 T flour

1-1/4 t baking powder

2-1/2 t salt

1-1/4 t pepper

30 c shredded potatoes (3 30 oz bags shredded hash brown potatoes)

2-1/2 c diced onions

2 c (or so) oil

Directions

Mix all ingredients well except the oil.

Shape into pancakes 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick and 6 inches diameter (that’s about 2 cm thick and 15 cm diameter for you scientific types or those outside the US 🙂 ).

Fry in about 1 inch of oil until crispy.

Place on a paper-towel lined plate and serve with applesauce or sour cream.

Happy Hanukkah!

Hanukkah Activities for Christian Kids

Written by Holy Branches on November 25, 2024. Posted in Hanukkah. No Comments on Hanukkah Activities for Christian Kids

When Christian families embrace the celebration of Hanukkah as a tradition, we must remember that it’s our job to pass our faith on to our children. Hanukkah (or the Feast of Dedication) is a beautiful way to proclaim our God’s attribute of faithfulness and get the whole family involved! Check out my calendar for the dates of Hanukkah this year.

Lighting the Hanukkiah

Obviously, use your best judgment with the degree of participation of little ones, but this most common Hanukkah tradition is great for kids to see. Each night of Hanukkah, another candle is lit on the Hanukkiah (9-branched menorah for Hanukkah). On night 1, the Shamash (helper candle that lights the others) is lit and lights the first. On the second night, the Shamash lights candles 1 and 2, and so on.

Candle lighting is a time to talk to kids about why you’re celebrating Hanukkah and how it relates to our Messiah, Jesus. You can take advantage of the time you have their attention and read the story of Jesus on Hanukkah (see below).

Battle for Torah: The Message of Hanukkah By Key Kindall

Read Hanukkah Stories

We can read about Jesus during Hanukkah (the Feast of Dedication) in John 10:22-30) or even read the Hanukkah story in the Books of the Maccabees. Here’s a summary of the story, The Maccabees, The Jewish Freedom Fighters.

Battle for Torah is a poetic book for children written by Kim Kindall, a Believer in Jesus.

The Story of Hanukkah covers the miracles of Hanukkah and even has a latke recipe and instructions for the dreidel game!

My little ones LOVE sticker books! Here’s an adorable Hanukkah-themed sticker and activity book, Ella and Noah Celebrate Hanukkah. It’s sure to keep little hands busy or help them stay quiet during services.

Ella and Noah celebrate Hanukkah: sticker activity book

Dreidel Game

Almost any age can participate in the dreidel game! It’s simple, yet it always turns out to be a good time. Using candy coins is our favorite way to play, but you could use whatever small candy or numerous items you have around the house as tokens.

A dreidel has four sides, with 4 Hebrew letters on them, nun (נ), gimmel (ג), hay (ה), and shin (שׁ). These letters stand for “Nes gadol hayah sham” or “A great miracle happened there.” This statement references the miracles from the Hanukkah story – the victory of the Maccabees and the miracle of the oil.

Here’s how to play:

Each player must start the game with an equal number of tokens.

The Dreidel Company Bulk Solid Blue & White Wooden Hanukkah Dreidels, Hand Painted with English Transliteration- Includes Game Instruction Cards

To begin each round, each player puts one token into the pot (the middle). The first player spins the dreidel once and follows the directions, depending on which side of the dreidel is up when it stops spinning.

If nun (נ) is showing, the player gets nothing, and their turn is over.

Gimmel (ג) means the player gets the entire pot!

Hay (ה) entitles the player to half of the pot’s contents (if there’s an odd number, take half plus one).

If the shin (שׁ) side is up, the player must put one token in the pot.

If the pot has one or less during the game, each player puts one token in to keep the game going.

When a player runs out of tokens, they are “out.”

The winner is the one who gets all the tokens, ending that round of the game.

Hanukkah Crafts

A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays: With Activities for All Ages

Make your candles for your family’s Hanukkiah with this kit from Rite-Lite.

The Dreidel Company Make Your Own Hanukkah Beeswax Candles

There are crafts and many other activities in the book A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays. This book has educational activities for the other Biblical holidays as well.

Find a cute Paper Plate Menorah Craft at NutureStore. There’s a printable for the candles, so your little ones can color them and cut them out.

And while we’re on the subject of online printable crafts, here’s a printable dreidel for your kids to color, cut out, and glue to make a paper dreidel they can really use!

The Dreidel Company Craft-A-Dreidel, Create Your Own Custom Dreidel

There’s also a Custom Dreidel Craft Kit for your little crafters. It comes with an unfinished wooden dreidel, paint, and a paintbrush. The design opportunities are endless!

Hanukkah Recipes

Traditionally, the foods eaten at Hanukkah are those fried in oil. While I’m all for kids helping in the kitchen, I recommend you leave them out of the frying process for safety reasons. You know your kids best – use your best judgment on how and where to include them.

Latkes

Here’s a hint to all my fellow busy moms: I’ve used packaged and frozen shredded hash brown potatoes as a shortcut for this recipe, and they’ve turned out great! Here’s the recipe: Busy Mom’s Cheater Latke Recipe

Sufaganiyot

Wooden Menorah with Removable Wooden Candles – Colorful Chanukah Menorah for Kids

This recipe is made with child participation in mind! It has which portions of the recipe kids can do marked as such, along with those better done by an adult.

Rugelach

You can use the above link to make them from scratch, but there’s also a shortcut. You can use flaky crescent roll dough, fill it with Nutella, and bake it according to the package instructions. Yum!

Challah Bread

A bread that’s both attractive and festive, Challah is served on Shabbat (the Sabbath) and on other special days.

Hanukkah Sugar Cookies

There are so many possibilities when it comes to sugar cookies, and kids are always willing to help with this one. You can use these Hanukkah Cookie Cutters and this frosting recipe to decorate or just add blue and white sprinkles.

I wish you and your family a very Happy Hanukkah!

10 Traditions for a Christian Hanukkah

Written by Holy Branches on November 25, 2024. Posted in Hanukkah, Traditions. 9 Comments on 10 Traditions for a Christian Hanukkah

Celebrating Jesus at Hanukkah: An 8-Day Devotional

We celebrate Hanukkah (or the Feast of Dedication) in our Christian home to focus on God’s omnipotence and faithfulness to His people. As Christians, we also celebrate the re-dedication of our lives due to the cleansing of our hearts through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. If the thought of Christians celebrating Hanukkah is new to you, I invite you to read John 10:22-42 when Jesus observes Hanukkah at the Temple in Jerusalem, and check out this other post on Hanukkah and Christians.

Would you like to create a tradition of celebrating Hanukkah in your Christian home? You can find the dates of Hanukkah here, and below are ten ideas to get you started!

1. Praise God

The themes of Hanukkah are rich with shows of God’s power or omnipotence. His omnipotence is the attribute of God that shows His limitless ability to do, well, anything He wants! He is all-powerful, and this is shown when He caused the Jewish people to have victory over their Syrian rulers. The story goes that He miraculously allowed one day’s worth of oil to burn for eight days until more could be made for the Temple menorah.

God’s faithfulness to His people is the other central theme. Despite great persecution, God preserved His people, just as He always said He would. The circumstances were impossible, but God made it happen anyway. He showed that He stands with His people and keeps the promises He makes to them.

Hanukkah and Purim are for Christians Too! By Kenneth Albin

But it’s not just in the story of Hanukkah that we see these themes. They’re throughout the bible in both the Old and New Testaments, and if you’re paying attention, you’ll see them in your life and those around you. He is all-powerful, and he can do absolutely anything. And He’s always, always faithful to His people. He was then, He is now, and He will be forever. Now THAT’s worth celebrating!

2. Read His Word

Here are a few scripture selections to read to bring your focus onto the themes of Hanukkah:

Exodus 25:31-40, 37:17-24, and 40:24-25, 34-38
Leviticus 24:1-4
The book of Esther
Matthew 5:14-16
John 9:1-12, 10:22-42, and 14:16-17
Romans 8:1-17
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Ephesians 1:7
1 John 1:5-10

Silver Plated Candle Menorah – Fits all Standard Hanukkah Candles – Curved Branches, 8.5″ High x 6.5″ Wide – by Ner Mitzvah

3. Dig into History

While the story of Hanukkah isn’t in the Protestant bible, you can still read it for yourself. It’s found in the first and second books of the Maccabees. Since most Protestants don’t have a copy, here’s a link to the books of the Maccabees where you can read the whole story behind the celebration of Hanukkah.

4. Light the Menorah

Lighting the menorah is by far the most common tradition during Hanukkah. The menorah used during Hanukkah isn’t the same as the one used in the Temple – a seven-branch menorah or lampstand, as it’s called in most translations. The one used during Hanukkah is called a Hanukkiah. Instead of 7, it has nine branches to hold nine candles, one for each of Hanukkah’s eight nights, and one to light the others, called the shamash.

One candle is lit each night, using the candle in the tallest candleholder to light the others. They’re traditionally lit from left to right, and a new candle is added to the Hanukkiah on the right side each night. A blessing is usually said as the candles are lit.

5. Cook in Oil

Dishes served during Hanukkah are usually those cooked in oil to remember the story of the oil miracle in the Temple Menorah. Two of the most well-known are potato pancakes called latkes and jelly doughnuts called sufganiyot.

6. Play Dreidel

While this tradition probably has little to do with the history of Hanukkah, it’s a fun game to play during this celebration that will entertain adults and children. Besides a few (2 or more) fun friends or family members, two things are necessary to enjoy playing Dreidel. A dreidel and something to use as chips or tokens, such as chocolate coins, also called gelt.

A dreidel has four sides, with 4 Hebrew letters on them: nun (נ), gimmel (ג), hay (ה), and shin (שׁ). These letters stand for “Nes gadol hayah sham” or “A great miracle happened there.”

Here’s how to play.

Each player must start the game with an equal number of tokens or chips (this can be almost anything small and numerous. My family has used pennies and M&Ms, but we like chocolate coins best).

If nun (נ) is showing, the player gets nothing, and their turn is over.
Gimmel (ג) means the player gets the entire pot!
Hay (ה) entitles the player to half of the pot’s contents (if there’s an odd number, take half plus one).
If the shin (שׁ) side is up, the player must put one token in the pot.

The Dreidel Company Chocolate Candy Milk Chocolate Coins, Hanukkah Gelt, Gold Coins, Made with Belgian Chocolate, Gluten Free, Non GMO, Nut-Free, Kosher Certified (50-Pack)

If the pot has one or less during the game, each player puts one token in to keep the game going.

When a player runs out of tokens, they are “out.”

The winner is the one who gets all the tokens, ending that round of the game.

7. Give Gifts

Gift-giving is another Hanukkah tradition that isn’t rooted in history. It’s a specifically American tradition, probably resulting from Hanukkah’s proximity to Christmas on our calendar. Some families give one gift each night of Hanukkah, and some even hide them to make it even more fun!

8. Decorate Your Home

Aside from your menorah, the options for decorating your home during Hanukkah are endless. I’ve seen creative and beautiful Hanukkah decorations to complement any décor. We’ve made garlands out of these Stars and usually have one of these Happy Hanukkah banners hanging around the house.

9. Make Some Cookies

We have a tradition of baking and decorating cookies this time of year, and how we do that has morphed over the years. We have settled on a beautiful combination of menorahs and stars of David, mixed with crosses, to reflect our faith and what we celebrate this time of year.

Aligning With God’s Appointed Times: Discover the Prophetic and Spiritual Meaning of the Biblical Holidays By Jason Sobel

10. Get Your Hebrew On

Hanukkah, Chanukah, Hanukah, or Chanukkah – how is it spelled? Well, none of these are precisely correct because the Hebrew word, meaning “to dedicate” in remembrance of the re-dedication of the Temple, is spelled חֲנֻכָּה.

The first letter, chet, is guttural and has no equivalent sound in English. It’s pronounced in the back of your throat like the sound the “ch” makes at the end of “Bach.” Go ahead. Give it a try – Chanukkah.

Greet your Hanukkah guests with style! The standard greeting used during Hanukkah in English is “Happy Hanukkah!”. In Hebrew, it’s “Hanukkah Sameach” (Chan-uh-kuh Sam-ay-ach).

If you plan on celebrating a Christian Hanukkah tradition in your home, these ten ideas should get you started. However you celebrate, ensure God gets all the glory for His infinite power and faithfulness to His people!

I wish you and your family a very Happy Hanukkah!

Hanukkah 101: An Introduction for Christians

Written by Holy Branches on November 25, 2024. Posted in Hanukkah, Traditions. 2 Comments on Hanukkah 101: An Introduction for Christians

You may have heard that many Christians celebrate Hanukkah. Although it’s most commonly known as a Jewish holiday, Hanukkah is relevant to the Christian faith. Aside from Jesus himself celebrating Hanukkah in the bible (John 10:22-23), the themes and story behind Hanukkah are reasons for every Christian to celebrate – the power and faithfulness of our God. As grafted in children of God, we can embrace this holiday as part of our history and tradition, just as Jesus did.

History

The Jewish people were under Syrian Hellenistic rule between the Old and New Testaments, around 165 BC. Antiochus IV was the leader of the Seleucid Empire at the time. Under his control, Jewish traditions were outlawed, including Sabbath keeping, adherence to a Kosher diet, and circumcision. Idols were set up in the Temple, and pigs were rumored to have been sacrificed on the Temple altar. Among the punishments for observance of Jewish traditions were death and torture.

The Real Story of Chanukah/Hanukkah: Dedicated to the Death (A Messianic Jewish Exhortation for Israel and All Disciples of Yeshua)

Rather than face brutal punishment, many Jews assimilated with Hellenistic culture. Some evaded their Syrian leaders by hiding in the hills and caves of Judea. A small number of Jews led by Judah Maccabee decided to revolt. Despite the overwhelming opposition, they courageously stood up for their God, His Word, and His Temple. They were miraculously victorious despite being vastly outnumbered!

After the battles, the Jewish people removed the idols from the Temple and put the menorah back in place. But when they went to light the menorah, only one day’s worth of oil was left, and making more was an 8-day process. The story goes that one day’s worth of oil continued to burn for eight days until new oil was ready for use, another Hanukkah miracle.

History vs. Tradition

The story of the Maccabean revolt is found in the books of the Maccabees. These writings are not included in the Protestant bible, but the writings of the historian Josephus support the oppression of the Jewish people and the outcome of the revolt.

The traditional part of the story is the part about the oil. This story isn’t recorded in the books of the Maccabees or other historical sources but in the Talmud (Shabbat 21b), the written form of the Oral Torah. It’s been passed down by Jewish people for thousands of years and is the miracle that’s the focus of the celebration of Hanukkah.

Jesus and Hanukkah

We find Jesus at the Temple during the celebration of Hanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication, in the book of John, verses 10:22-23. Many people traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem during Hanukkah, as with many biblical holidays. Jesus is also shown visiting the Temple and walking through Solomon’s portico during the festival of Hanukkah in the Book of John.

At this time, Jews gathered around him and asked him to tell them if he was the Messiah. He replied that he already had, as well as performed works in God’s name but that they didn’t believe him. They were expecting the Messiah to save them from Roman rule, but Jesus said he was there to offer them eternal life instead. He said that he and God are one, and they attempted to stone him because they didn’t believe his claim and thought him blasphemous. Nonetheless, it was during Hanukkah that he chose to reveal his deity.

Why Some Christians Celebrate

Usually, the Christians that celebrate Hanukkah are either in a household of mixed faith (Jewish and Christian) or lean toward the beliefs of the Hebrew Roots Movement. Here are a few different reasons for Christian Hanukkah observation.

Alternative to Christmas

Some Christians have an issue celebrating Christmas as a Holy day for God because there is no mention of it in the bible. Moreover, the pagan roots and traditions woven throughout the Christmas holiday call into question whether the followers of God should be engaging in the holiday. More and more Christians are finding biblical meaning in celebrating Jesus’s coming to Earth by celebrating Sukkot or Hanukkah instead.

Jesus did

Many feel that Jesus’s Jewish culture and appearance at the Temple during Hanukkah show that he celebrated Hanukkah himself. They also see his declaration that he and God are one during Hanukkah as a sign that we are to re-dedicate ourselves to God through him.

To celebrate a historical event where God’s Glory was shown

Although we can (and should!) celebrate God’s Glory and faithfulness every day, Hanukkah celebrates a time when His Glory was shown, and His promise kept in a specific and miraculous way.

To celebrate a victory of God’s people

When God seeks to accomplish what we see as impossible, He can and will do just that. During Hanukkah, He showed He brought victory to His people as they were outnumbered and stood against a powerful, experienced army. God’s power is a theme throughout the bible as God’s miracles point to Him and His omnipotence because they occur under circumstances that would otherwise make them impossible. This theme also runs through the book of Esther, which is what the celebration of Purim is about.

To celebrate the re-dedication of themselves (temples) upon indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Paul tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. When we accept Jesus as our savior, his blood cleanses us of our sin, and we re-dedicate our lives to following him. His Spirit can then live in us, the purified and re-dedicated temples.

Common Hanukkah Traditions

Lighting of the Hanukkiah

The menorah used during the celebration of Hanukkah isn’t the same as the one used in the Temple, which has seven branches. For Hanukkah, the menorah used is called a Hanukkiah and has nine branches, with eight candles, one for each night of Hanukkah, and one candle to light the others, called the Shamash.

Foods

Traditional foods served during Hanukkah are those cooked in oil. Potato pancakes called latkes, and a type of jelly doughnut called sufganiyot are two popular Hanukkah dishes.

The Dreidel Company Extra Large Jerusalem Wood Dreidels, Let’s Play Dreidel The Hanukkah Game, Instructions Included (2-Pack)

Gift-giving

Gift-giving is a primarily American Hanukkah tradition, probably due to the Hanukkah and Christmas seasons often overlapping. While some families give gifts during Hanukkah, this practice has no biblical or historical tradition. Many families give one gift for each night of Hanukkah, and some hide them as a challenge to the recipients.

The Dreidel Game

Although it’s been around for centuries, this game is so much fun! I’ve heard a few theories about why and how this game started, but it most likely has little historical significance. It’s a simple game, but kids and adults can get into it despite its simplicity! You’ll need a dreidel and something to use as tokens or chips to play. Many people use chocolate coins (gelt), but our family has used everything from pennies to M&Ms.

Here’s how to play:
Give each player 10-15 coins or whatever you use as tokens.
Each player puts one coin into the middle, the “pot.”
Each player takes a turn spinning the dreidel. Whichever side is face-up when the dreidel stops will determine whether the player that spun it puts coins into or takes coins from the pot.
Gimmel (ג): Take all of the coins in the pot.
Hey (ה): Take 1/2 of the coins in the pot. If there’s an odd number of coins, take 1/2 plus 1.
Shin (שׁ): Put one coin into the pot. Rolling a shin sometimes prompts the rhyme “Shin, shin, put one in!” from the other players.
Nun (נ) The player gets nothing, and the turn goes to the next player.
If you run out of coins, you’re out. The winner is the one with all the coins at the end of the game.

Should You Celebrate Hanukkah?

I know dedicated Christians on both sides of this conversation. Most don’t celebrate Hanukkah, but some do and say that it’s a tradition that enriches their Christian faith. If you’re wondering if you should celebrate it, the first step should be to pray. Ask God any time you add or dispose of traditions that relate to your faith and how He would like for you to go about doing that. Whether your traditions are Godly or worldly or motivated by your desire to give glory to Him or yourself will be reflected in those traditions, so choose carefully and prayerfully which and how you take part.

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah or not, make sure the main themes of Hanukkah are evident in your faith and your life. God keeps His promises by protecting His people, and His ability and willingness to show His power through miracles should cause us to give all praise and glory to Him!

Happy Hanukkah!

Sufganiyot for Hanukkah

Written by Holy Branches on December 3, 2021. Posted in Hanukkah, Recipes. No Comments on Sufganiyot for Hanukkah

Sufganiyot are like jelly donuts and are a traditional food eaten during Hanukkah. Because they’re fried in oil, they remind us of the miracles of Hanukkah – the victory of God’s people and the oil that lasted 8 days. The origin of this dessert, as well as its name are debated, but what’s for sure is that it’s a common sight on Hanukkah tables around the world.

This recipe is from the Taste of Home website. I love their site for recipe ideas because their recipes are well tested so they always come out great. They also suggest in this recipe to try different fillings, such as dulche de leche or Nutella. Yum!

Interested in other Hanukkah traditions? Check out 10 Traditions for a Christian Hanukkah.

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Ingredients

1/2 c. whole wheat flour (I’ve used all-purpose and it works fine also)

1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast

1/4 t. ground cloves

1-1/2 to 2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. honey

2 t. canola oil

1 large egg

1/2 t. vanilla extract

Oil for deep fat frying

3/4 c. seedless raspberry preserves

Confectioner’s sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, yeast, cloves and 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour.

In a small saucepan, heat the water, honey and oil to 120°-130°.

Add to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat 2 minutes longer.

Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. biscuit cutter.

In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, for 45 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag or in a corner of a resealable bag; insert a small tip. Fill bag with preserves.

With a small knife, pierce a hole into the side of each doughnut; fill with preserves.

Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm.