Samuel Bremer

Christmas may be the most popular December holiday people think of, but right next to that is Hanukkah. This Jewish holiday is an eight-day celebration to commemorate the Second Temple in Jerusalem in second century B.C. 

Hanukkah, also called Chanukah or the “Festival of Lights,” is celebrated at MCHS by West sophomore Samuel Bremer. “Every night, you sing a prayer and then you light a candle,” Bremer explains. “After that, you get presents and then you just repeat the same thing every night.”

In his house, Bremer’s father is Christian and his mother is Jewish, so they celebrate both. “[This year, celebrating both] may be difficult because the dates intercept,” he explains. “I’m not celebrating [Christmas] this year, but maybe next year if I celebrate it [I’ll get double the amount of presents.]”

Judaism and Christianity are different religions, but they both believe in God. Christianity focuses on the New Covenant recorded in the New Testament, and Judaism focuses on the Mosaic covenant recorded in the Torah and Talmud.

Like Christmas, Hanukkah is a time to be with family and celebrate the holiday. “The first night, we go to my aunt’s house, then we spend the rest of the nights at my own house,” Bremer says. 

Hanukkah is often looked at as very different, but while Christians decorate their tree and Jews light their menorahs and spin their dreidel, it is important for everyone to remember that what they are celebrating has different stories and traditions.