Hanukkah Prayers

Hanukkah which is the festival of dedication unfolds the saga of the great triumph of the Jews over the Syrian Greeks in the early 165BCE. Hanukkah, the eight day long Jewish annual festival is therefore celebrated with age-old custom and tradition of which lighting of the candles and saying of the Hanukkah prayers are most important. The eight day long festival of Hanukkah is the ideal representation of the Jewish values, customs,

institutions and religious fervor where lighting the typical Hanukkah candles everyday whilst chanting those Hanukkah prayers has a deep spiritual significance. Burning of each candle every day is a tribute to the conquest that took place in the long gone era.

The first sounds of the festival are the prayers that accompany the lighting of the candles whilst adding to the spiritualism of the fiesta. While the first two prayers are ideally recited each night, it is the third one that is recited only on the opening night. The first Hanukkah prayer ''Praised are You, Our God, Ruler of the universe, Who made us holy through Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights…… '' praise God and the creator whilst lighting the candle.

The second Hanukkah prayer has more intensity in the thanks giving - '' Praised are You, Our God, Ruler of the universe, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in those ancient days at this season…''

The third Hanukkah prayer is almost the repetition of the second one however has more passion in its thanks giving. '' Praised are You, Our God, Ruler of the universe, who has given us life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season…''