Hanukkah 2025: A Festival of Lights Celebrating Jewish Memory and Faith

Candlesticks with nine candles – a symbol of the festival – along with large-scale illuminated decorative models, are simultaneously lit up, becoming a highlight in many squares and streets.

On the evening of December 14th, Israelis simultaneously lit the first candles, officially inaugurating the Hanukkah (or Chanukah in the local language) Festival of Lights 2025 – one of the most important festivals in Jewish life, lasting eight days.

The ceremony is meant to honor light, historical memory, and hope, but this year's opening atmosphere was somewhat overshadowed by the terrorist attack on the festival at Bondi Beach, Sydney (Australia), which killed at least 12 people and injured nearly 30.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog presided over the Hanukkah lighting ceremony in a solemn and warm atmosphere, attracting thousands of people and being broadcast live nationwide.

From Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to Haifa and many other cities, the Hanukkah lights spread across balconies, windows, and public spaces.

Candlesticks with nine candles – a symbol of the festival – along with large-scale illuminated decorative models, are simultaneously lit up, becoming a highlight in many squares and streets.

The festive atmosphere is also present in daily life as bakeries enter their peak season with millions of sufganiyah – traditional Hanukkah jam-filled doughnuts – consumed daily, associated with the miraculous story of the oil burning for eight days.

The Israeli Ministry of Education announced that numerous cultural, artistic, and entertainment activities for children will be held throughout Hanukkah week. Military units also maintain the tradition of lighting candles at their bases to boost morale and camaraderie among soldiers.

Hanukkah commemorates the Jewish victory over the Seleucid Empire more than 2,000 years ago and the miracle of the oil lamp at the Temple in Jerusalem. Traditionally, one candle is lit each evening, so that by the eighth day, the entire Hanukkah is illuminated.

This year's festival will last until December 22nd, with many community activities continuing throughout Israel.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hanukkah-2025-le-hoi-anh-sang-ton-vinh-ky-uc-va-duc-tin-do-thai-post1083066.vnp