What Believers in Messiah Need to Keep in Mind about Hanukkah

Here are a few things all believers in Messiah should know about Hanukkah, whether or not you choose to celebrate it.

This is not a Biblical holiday. While passages of Scripture such as Leviticus 23 give us instructions for keeping YHWH's set apart times, Hanukkah is not mentioned there. Nowhere in Scripture are we told to celebrate Hanukkah.

The nine-branch 'menorah' that is used during Hanukkah is not the lampstand of Scripture. The Creator himself specified in Exodus 25 that his menorah has seven lights. Should we be altering its design so that it doesn't follow Biblical instructions?

The story of the oil miraculously lasting eight days when the Temple was rededicated is not in the book of Maccabees. Not that it couldn't have happened, but it's important to not make claims that it is in the book when it's not.

Unlike the traditional Hanukkah blessing says, the Creator never commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights. Don't teach falsities about what the Living God says.

The mention of the Messiah being at the Temple during Hanukkah in John 10 does not prove that he was celebrating or ordained what was happening. Yahusha frequently spent time with sinners - that doesn't mean he approved of everything they did.

If you read the rest of John 10 you'll see that the Messiah's presence was so poorly received during the Hanukkah festivities that the leaders tried to stone him there! Does it sound like he was taking part in what they were doing?

If you view it as a minor holiday, you should treat it as such. Don't put more effort, time, or money into Hanukkah than you would Passover, Sukkot, or the other Biblical holidays.

Many cultures have a 'Festival of Lights' around this time of year. Including the Hindu celebration of Diwali, and the Babylonian/Persian festival of Chaharshanbe Suri, which is nearly 4,000 years old.

Please keep these things in mind before celebrating this manmade holiday. If you celebrate, know the facts, and make it clear that this holiday is not something YHWH commanded us to do.

Related posts:
The Case for the Seven Branch Menorah
Why I Don't Celebrate Hanukkah
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Why Hanukkah is Not a Biblical Holiday

Biblical Holiday Dates 2021 + Printable

These are the dates when the Hebrew holidays land in 2021! As usual, here is a free printable for you to stick in your planner, on your fridge, on your desk, or wherever else so that you can be sure to free up these days to celebrate the set apart times of our Creator. All of these holidays are significant, and honoring them will cause your faith to grow tremendously! Some of these days are called Sabbaths in Scripture, which means we are not to do any work on those days and otherwise treat them as the weekly Sabbath. I've made note of those days so that you can plan accordingly.

Once again I'm giving you two different sets of dates. There are many calendars out there that believers observe, and my goal is not to convince you of which one to pick. I share these two because they are the most common amongst people I know. I would encourage you to pick a calendar and go with it. If you have a congregation, going with their dates gives you a chance to celebrate with community, which I am all for. As always, pray about how you should live and be willing to make changes and adjustments as your faith grows and you learn more.

Traditional calendar:

The traditional calendar has days going from sundown to sundown. Holidays start at sundown on the day listed. For example, Passover starts at sundown on March 27 and ends at sundown the next day, on March 28. The traditional calendar also gives an extra day for Shavuot and Yom Teruah, though Scripture treats both as one-day holidays.

Passover - March 27-28
Feast of Unleavened Bread - March 28 - April 4
First Fruits - March 28-29
Shavuot - May 16-18
Yom Teruah - September 6-8
Yom Kippur - September 15-16
Sukkot - September 20-27

No work days:

First day of Unleavened Bread - March 28-29
Last day of Unleavened Bread - April 3-4
Shavuot - May 16-18
Yom Teruah - September 6-8
Yom Kippur - September 15-16
First day of Sukkot - September 20-21
Last day of Sukkot - September 26-27

Not familiar with a no work day? They are treated as the weekly Sabbath. More on that here!

Torah to the Tribes' calendar:

This calendar uses daylight to daylight dates. This means Passover starts at daybreak on April 3 and ends at daybreak April 4, which is the start of Unleavened Bread.

Passover - April 3
Feast of Matzah - April 4 - 10
First Fruits - April 4
Shavuot - May 23
Yom Teruah - September 17
Yom Kippur - September 26
Sukkot - October 1-8

No work days:
First day of Matzah Week - April 4
Last day of Matzah Week - April 10
Shavuot - May 23
Yom Teruah - September 17
Yom Kippur - September 26
First day of Sukkot - October 1
Last day of Sukkot - October 8

Whatever calendar you go by, now is the time to plan your schedule and put in for time off from work so that you can enjoy these set apart times.

Related posts:
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Why I Started Celebrating the Biblical Feasts
What is No-Work Day?

Hebrew Holiday Dates 2020 + Printable

Here are the 2020 Hebrew holiday dates! As usual, I'm providing a free printable so you can stick it in your planner, take it work, put it on the fridge, or whatever else you need to do to make sure that you'll be free to celebrate the special times of our Creator. All of these holidays are significant, and some of them are called Sabbaths in Scripture, which means we are instructed not to do any work on those days. I've made note of those so that you can plan accordingly. You can read more about no-work days here.

There are several different calendars out there for celebrating the feasts, and once again I'm giving you two sets of dates. My goal is not to convince you of one over the other (or even necessarily either of these), but to encourage you to pick a calendar to use so that you can honor Scripture's set apart times to the best of your ability. As always, pray about how you should live and be willing to make changes and adjustments as your faith grows.

Traditional calendar:

The traditional calendar has days going from sundown to sundown. Holidays start at sundown on the day listed. For example, Passover starts at sundown on April 9 and ends at sundown on April 10. The traditional calendar also gives an extra day for Shavuot and Yom Teruah, though Scripture treats both as one-day holidays.

Passover - April 8-9
Feast of Matzah - April 9-16
First Fruits - April 11-12
Shavuot - May 28-30
Yom Teruah - September 18-20
Yom Kippur - September 27-28
Sukkot - October 2-10


No work days:
First day of Matzah Week - April 9-10
Last day of Matzah Week - April 15-16
Shavuot - May 28-30
Yom Teruah - September 18-20
Yom Kippur - September 27-28
First day of Sukkot - October 2-3
Last day of Sukkot - October 9-10

Click here to download the traditional calendar Hebrew holiday dates.

Torah to the Tribes' calendar:

This calendar uses daylight to daylight dates. This means Passover starts at daybreak on April 2 and ends at daybreak on April 3.

Passover - April 2
Feast of Matzah - April 3-9
First Fruits - April 5
Shavuot - May 24
Yom Teruah - September 16
Yom Kippur - September 25
Sukkot - September 30 - October 7

No work days:
First day of Matzah Week - April 3
Last day of Matzah Week - April 9
Shavuot - May 24
Yom Teruah - September 16
Yom Kippur - September 25
First day of Sukkot - September 30
Last day of Sukkot - October 7

Click here to download the Hebrew holiday dates from Torah to the Tribes.

Start planning to keep the Feasts this year!