- The Kwanzaa Tradition
The Seven Principles
of Kwanzaa The Untold History of Christmas By Alex Padalka
Dr. maulana ron karenga founded kwanzaa in 1966.
In the second century, Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes attempted to force his own Greek religion on the people of Judea. To their outrage, Antiochus erected an altar of Zeus in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem and sacrificed a pig on it. The Jewish people did not stand for this insult and staged a successful rebellion led by Judah Maccabee. After the war was over, the Maccabees cleansed the Temple and held a service of dedication, marking the first Chanukah.
During the restoration, a miracle happened, according to the Talmud. There was only enough oil found to last for one day, yet somehow the temple Menorah stayed lit for eight.
The menorah is a symbol of an 8-day miracle from the 2nd century. To commemorate the miracle, Chanukah is celebrated for eight days, and gets its second name, the Festival of Lights, from the practice of lighting the special Chanukah Menorah, also called a Chanukkiah. As opposed to the seven candles of the Temple Menorah, it has nine candles or oil lamps, one of which stands out from the others, called the Shamash. The Shamash is lit first and used to light the rest of the candles, one for each day of the miracle. The menorah is displayed prominently in a window or on a stoop, to remind passersby of the miracle. | |
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