festival of lights
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Proper noun:
- A Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem: "Festival of Lights" is the common English name for Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish festival that celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE. It is marked by the lighting of a nine-branched candelabrum called a menorah.
Examples of Usage
- Proper noun:
- Our family gathers each year to celebrate the Festival of Lights.
- The story of the miracle of the oil is central to the Festival of Lights.
Advanced Usage
- "during the Festival of Lights": referring to the time period of the holiday.
- Many traditional foods are eaten during the Festival of Lights.
- "the meaning of the Festival of Lights": discussing the historical or religious significance.
- The rabbi explained the meaning of the Festival of Lights to the children.
Variants and Related Words
- Hanukkah (n): The more common name for the same holiday.
- Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar.
- Chanukah (n): A common alternative transliteration of Hanukkah.
- Menorah (n): The nine-branched candelabrum lit during the festival.
- One candle on the menorah is lit each night of the festival.
Synonyms
- Hanukkah: The direct synonym for Festival of Lights.
- Feast of Dedication: Another historical name for the holiday, emphasizing the rededication of the Temple.
Related Phrases
- "light the menorah": the central ritual act of the holiday.
- Every evening, we light the menorah to observe the Festival of Lights.
- "eight nights of": a phrase describing the holiday's duration.
- The Festival of Lights is celebrated for eight nights.
Related Idioms
- "A great miracle happened there": A phrase associated with the holiday, often found on a dreidel (a spinning top game).
- The dreidel used during the Festival of Lights bears the Hebrew letters for the phrase "A great miracle happened there."
Noun
- (Judaism) an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 165 BC