Chanukah begins on the evening of December 18th. We are excited to share our Chanukah Holiday guide with you! It’s filled with information about the holiday and how we can tie it to animal advocacy.
We are thrilled with the delicious holiday recipes and are very thankful to each of our contributors. We hope you will enjoy these and share them with others! We’re here to help you have delicious plant-based celebrations for our Jewish holidays and we want to wish you a very Happy Chanukah!
What is Chanukah?
Chanukah is our eight-day winter “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods. The word Chanukah means “dedication” because we are celebrating the rededication of the Holy Temple.
In the second century BCE, the people of Israel were forbidden from practicing the Jewish religion. Against the odds, a small band of faithful but poorly armed Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove their oppressors out, and reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
We are celebrating the miracle of the oil during Chanukah. When the Maccabee’s went to re-light the menorah in the Temple, there was only enough olive oil to last for one night. They lit the menorah and the one-day supply lasted for eight days, allowing for time to produce more oil, and leaving the menorah lit!
Chanukah is observed with nightly Chanukiah lightings. The Chanukah menorah holds nine flames, the shamash (attendant) flame is used to light the other eight lights. On the first night, we light just one additional flame and on every subsequent night, an additional flame is also lit. On the final night, all the flames are lit.
When is Chanukah?
Chanukah begins on the eve of Kislev 25 and continues for eight days. On the Gregorian calendar, it generally coincides with the month of December. Chanukah 2022 runs from December 18th – December 26.
How can we tie the holiday of Chanukah to animal advocacy and veganism?
During Chanukah, we celebrate freedom from oppression, the miracle of the oil, and the lights. As we demonstrate compassion for animals through our food choices, this is a way of rebelling against animal agriculture and factory farming. Plant-based diets are miraculous because they can reverse disease and bring back health, energy, and vitality and can help us stop the environmental disasters that animal agriculture is wreaking on our earth. We are living in a time when the miraculous power of plants is coming to light for health and our planet. Some of the most creative recipes available are plant-based nowadays. Miraculous!
Here is an updated round-up of our favorite Chanukah recipes, cruelty-free style!
Carrot and Sweet potato Tzimmes
Recipe and photo by Nava Atlas | Author of many Vegan Cookbooks! | Website: https://theveganatlas.com/
Noodle Kugel
Photo and recipe by Michelle Cehn | Founder & CEO, World of Vegan | Website: https://www.worldofvegan.com/
Latkes
Photo and recipe by, Estee Raviv, (Oy Vey Vegan) | Follow Estee on social: @fromesteeskitchen
Watch Estee make them in our cooking demo here: Salty ‘N Sweet Chanukah Eats
Easy Vegan Sufganiyot
Recipe and photo by Maddie of the Jewish Vegan | @TheJewishVegan | https://the-jewish-vegan.com/
Gluten free Chanukah Cookies
Photo and recipe by, Estee Raviv, (Oy Vey Vegan) | Follow Estee on social: @fromesteeskitchen
Watch Estee make them in our cooking demo here: Salty ‘N Sweet Chanukah Eats
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