Hanukkah began on December 12[SUP]th[/SUP], and ends on December 20[SUP]th[/SUP] 2017
Hanukkah was actually instigated as a decree by the Persian king Ahasuerus, the Artaxerxes of Persia. He was so in love with Esther, that instead of receiving gifts from the provinces under his reign, that he released (הֲנָחָה) those provinces from having to give gifts to him for promoting Esther to queen of Persia. Obviously it was a marriage celebration.
הֲנָחָה hănâchâh, han-aw-khaw'; permission of rest, i.e. quiet:—release.
Esther 2:16-18
16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release (הֲנָחָה) to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
The following is taken from this website...
Hanukkah 2017: What is the meaning behind this Jewish festival and why is it sometimes called Chanukah?
In the case of Chanukkah, (Khan-aw-kah חנוכה meaning dedication) the story is that of the Maccabees, a guerrilla army of Jewish rebels based in Israel who revolted against the Seleucid Greek King Antiochus who had - as the saying goes - tried to kill us.
The exact historical truth of the religious version of events is disputed, but we do know that King Antiochus and the Maccabees existed. What is less established is whether the miracle described in the Hanukkah story really happened.
Traditionally Jews only exchanged gifts on Purim, a Jewish holiday commemorating the time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination by a young woman called Esther.
However, when Christmas became more prominent in the late 19th century and the Christian holiday’s consumerism grew, the Jewish custom shifted in imitation of Christmas.
Purim will be celebrated for 2 days in 2018, February 28[SUP]th[/SUP] through March 1[SUP]st [/SUP]evening to evening.
“Pur” (פּוּר) is basically a “census” for the purpose of finding out who was Jewish, and who wasn’t.
“Purim” (פּוּרִים ) is a special feast, only for Jews, that was decreed by Esther, the Jewish queen of Persia, celebrating their deliverance from Haman's destruction through Queen Esther's heroic actions.
Esther 3:5-7
5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
7 In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (פּוּר), that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
פּוּר Pûwr, poor; also (plural) פּוּרִים Pûwrîym; a lot (as by means of a broken piece, or broken into pieces):—Pur, Purim.
Esther 9:24-32
24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, (פּוּר) that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;
25 But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
26 Wherefore they called these days Purim (פּוּרִים) after the name of Pur (פּוּר). Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,
27 The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;
28 And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim (פּוּרִים) should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.
29 Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim (פּוּרִים).
30 And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,
31 To confirm these days of Purim (פּוּרִים) in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.
32 And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; (פּוּרִים)and it was written in the book.
Hanukkah was actually instigated as a decree by the Persian king Ahasuerus, the Artaxerxes of Persia. He was so in love with Esther, that instead of receiving gifts from the provinces under his reign, that he released (הֲנָחָה) those provinces from having to give gifts to him for promoting Esther to queen of Persia. Obviously it was a marriage celebration.
הֲנָחָה hănâchâh, han-aw-khaw'; permission of rest, i.e. quiet:—release.
Esther 2:16-18
16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release (הֲנָחָה) to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
The following is taken from this website...
Hanukkah 2017: What is the meaning behind this Jewish festival and why is it sometimes called Chanukah?
In the case of Chanukkah, (Khan-aw-kah חנוכה meaning dedication) the story is that of the Maccabees, a guerrilla army of Jewish rebels based in Israel who revolted against the Seleucid Greek King Antiochus who had - as the saying goes - tried to kill us.
The exact historical truth of the religious version of events is disputed, but we do know that King Antiochus and the Maccabees existed. What is less established is whether the miracle described in the Hanukkah story really happened.
Traditionally Jews only exchanged gifts on Purim, a Jewish holiday commemorating the time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination by a young woman called Esther.
However, when Christmas became more prominent in the late 19th century and the Christian holiday’s consumerism grew, the Jewish custom shifted in imitation of Christmas.
Purim will be celebrated for 2 days in 2018, February 28[SUP]th[/SUP] through March 1[SUP]st [/SUP]evening to evening.
“Pur” (פּוּר) is basically a “census” for the purpose of finding out who was Jewish, and who wasn’t.
“Purim” (פּוּרִים ) is a special feast, only for Jews, that was decreed by Esther, the Jewish queen of Persia, celebrating their deliverance from Haman's destruction through Queen Esther's heroic actions.
Esther 3:5-7
5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
7 In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (פּוּר), that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
פּוּר Pûwr, poor; also (plural) פּוּרִים Pûwrîym; a lot (as by means of a broken piece, or broken into pieces):—Pur, Purim.
Esther 9:24-32
24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, (פּוּר) that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;
25 But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
26 Wherefore they called these days Purim (פּוּרִים) after the name of Pur (פּוּר). Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,
27 The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;
28 And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim (פּוּרִים) should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.
29 Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim (פּוּרִים).
30 And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,
31 To confirm these days of Purim (פּוּרִים) in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.
32 And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; (פּוּרִים)and it was written in the book.