Happy Hanukkah 2014!

Wanted to take a moment to wish all my Jewish trans family, friends and allies a Happy Hanukkah.

This year it starts at sundown tonight and will run until Christmas Eve.

Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights, and celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem during the second century B.C., when Jews led by the Maccabees revolted against their Greek-Syrian oppressors.

When the Maccabees rededicated their temple which had been desecrated under their oppressive occupation in which the Jewish religion had been outlawed and pigs had been sacrificed on its altar, they needed to light the menorah in the temple as part of that process.   They only had enough consecrated oil to do that for one night, but miraculously that was enough to light it for eight days and find a fresh batch of oil.

Each night during the eight days of Hanukkah a candle is lit on a menorah from a central helper candle.  They are lit from left to right.

So for my Jewish friends, trans family and allies, Happy Hanukkah!