This year, Hanukkah begins on December 25, something that hasn’t happened since 2005. The Jewish holiday starts at sunset on the 25th of Kislev, the 9th month of the Jewish calendar, and it occasionally falls on December 25, but only a few times since 1900.
In Columbia, South Carolina, Chabad of South Carolina will celebrate by lighting the Isadore E. Lourie Memorial Menorah at the State House on December 30, which is the 6th night of Hanukkah.
Rabbi Levi Marrus, from Chabad of South Carolina, said, Given the difficult times for the Jewish community, with the war in Israel and a rise in antisemitism, this year we’re focusing more on celebrating Hanukkah with joy and pride. He explained that the Menorah represents freedom, victory over oppression, and the triumph of good over evil.
The ceremony will include the menorah lighting and feature local leaders, including South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, and Israel’s Consul General Anat Sultan Dodan. Everyone is invited, and there will be free latkes (potato pancakes) and doughnuts.
Chabad-Lubavitch will also host many Hanukkah events across South Carolina, including public menorah lightings, ice menorah displays, car parades with menorahs, and community events like giant dreidel houses and Chanukah Wonderlands.
This year is especially meaningful because it marks 50 years since the first public menorah was lit in front of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia in 1974. This event was part of a global Hanukkah campaign launched by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson in 1973 to promote the holiday and raise awareness.
Columbia’s menorah is one of over 15,000 public menorahs worldwide, including ones at iconic locations like the White House, the Eiffel Tower, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Great Wall of China, and the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
Rabbi Hesh Epstein, director of Chabad of South Carolina, said, “Celebrating Hanukkah shows Jewish pride and confidence, especially in the fight against antisemitism, and reminds us of the liberty that America stands for.”
Hanukkah lasts for 8 days and ends on January 2 at nightfall. The holiday commemorates the victory of the Jewish people over the Syrian-Greeks, who had tried to limit Jewish practices and desecrated the Holy Temple. When the Jews regained the Temple, they found only one small jar of oil, enough for just one day, but it miraculously lasted for eight days. To remember this miracle, Jews light a menorah, adding one more candle each night. The holiday carries a message of freedom and the victory of light over darkness.