Public menorah lightings in St. George, Cedar City to feature Hanukkah traditions
A growing southern Utah Hanukkah tradition is set to continue in the next several days with public menorah lighting ceremonies and other events scheduled in both St. George and Cedar City.
The annual St. George Grand Menorah Lighting celebration starts at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18, the first day of Hanukkah, at Town Square Park, 50 S. Main St.
In Cedar City, the event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. downtown at Mayor Square, 23 W. Center St.
In addition to food, games, and music, this year's events are set to feature a mitzvah tank — a motor home used as a portable education and outreach vehicle — with dancing rabbis scheduled to perform.
Admission is free, and elected officials as well as representatives from local municipal governments are scheduled to participate.
Rabbi Mendy Cohen with the Chabad Jewish Center of St. George has helped organize similar events in St. George since 2018, although the program is now spreading to different locations.
"The excitement about Hanukkah is truly amazing," Cohen said. "People are preparing to celebrate with family and friends, filling their homes with the light of Hanukkah. It's really beautiful to see."
The menorahs will join the more than 15,000 public menorahs scheduled to go up in town squares and other locations worldwide, celebrating the Hanukkah holiday and symbolizing religious freedom.
Full schedules and more information on the southern Utah events are available online at www.JewishSU.com/chanukah2022.
Cedar City menorah
Mayor Garth Green is scheduled to join for a festival-style event slated to include live music, including classic Hanukkah songs, hot "latkes," face-painting and other activities.
It will mark the first-ever public lighting ceremony in Cedar City, Cohen said, although the expectation is that the event will draw a large crowd, like it does in St. George.
What is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, falls near the end of each calendar year. Sometimes overlapping with Christmas, and sometimes falling nearer to Thanksgiving, Hanukkah lasts eight days and is a time for Jewish celebrants to gather with family and reflect on a miracle that happened many years ago.
Marked by the lighting of the menorah — a nine-point candelabra with a new flame ignited each night — the holiday is unique in its prayers and traditions.
When is the first day of Hanukkah in 2022? Prepare for the holiday with our calendar guide and brief history of the celebration.
When is Hanukkah 2022?
The first day of Hanukkah this year is Sunday, Dec. 18. The dates of the holiday run from sundown on Dec. 18 to sundown Dec. 26.
How many days is Hanukkah celebrated for?
The festival of lights lasts for eight days and eight nights, from the evening of Dec. 18 to the evening of Dec. 26.
Why is Hanukkah celebrated?
"Hanukkah" is Hebrew for "dedication." Though the holiday is popularly known as the festival of lights, it is also the festival of rededication, meant to honor the victory of the Macabee soldiers over the Syrian Greek army.
In their victory, the Macabees, led by Judah, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to their God. They had only enough oil to ignite the temple light for one night, and yet the light burned for eight days.
In the Jewish faith, this instance is referred to as the miracle of Hannukah, and every year families honor that miracle during the eight-day holiday. A candle on the "menorah" or "hanukkiah" is lit each night to mimic the one that burned in the Holy Temple so many years ago.
Why do Hanukkah's days change every year?
The dates of Hanukkah are determined by the Hebrew calendar not the Gregorian calendar, which is the one we use. This creates a shift in determining when the holiday is celebrated each year.
The first day of Hanukkah is always on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar which is lunisolar — based on the movements of the sun and moon.
What are some traditions of Hanukkah?
Aside from lighting the menorah, Hanukkah is also celebrated with traditional games and foods.
Jewish celebrants will often cook potato pancakes known as "latkes" throughout the holiday, serving them at times with apple sauce or sour cream. Another traditional dish is a jelly donut, or "sufganiyot."
Another honored tradition involves the game of "dreidel" in which a four-sided top is spun and whichever face it lands on, each painted with a Hebrew letter, instructs players to add coins or take them out of a poker-style pot. The "coins" in question are actually made of chocolate though, wrapped in a gold tin foil to resemble money and called "gelt."
USA TODAY contributed to this article.
This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Hanukkah to be celebrated with menorah lightings in St. George, Cedar City
