A “HANUKKAH Festival” has been celebrated in Kathmandu at the residence of Ambassador of Israel to Nepal today (Wednesday) evening of January 1, 2025.

Ambassador of Israel to Nepal H.E. Shmulik Arie Bass and Madam Meirav Bass hosted a reception to celebrate Hanukkah Festival where distinguished personalities from various walks-of-life of the society attended the function.
This year 2024, the Hanukkah began on the evening of December 25 coinciding in a rare convergence with Christmas Day-using eight days of celebration, tradition, and light that will continue through Thursday, January 2, 2025.
Coincidentally, today is also the Gregorian Calendar New Year 2025. Guests presented at the function cashed an opportunity of the gatherings by exchanging greetings of Hanukkah Festival as well as New Year’s wishes too.
For eight nights, each night one additional candle is lit in a menorah candelabrum with spaces for nine candles until all eight candles are lit together on the final night of the festival. The unique ninth lamp is called a shamash or servitor, and it symbolically differentiates the eight holy flames from others.
On the occasion, the Ambassador of Israel to Nepal H.E. Shmulik Arie Bass shed light on the historical and culturally important aspects of Hanukkah among the Jewish community.
At the jubilant function, the candles in a menorah candelabra were lit by various distinguished personalities representing different sectors from diplomacy to politics, human rights to local bodies and more.
Hanukkah is a Festival of Lights of Jewish community reaffirm the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem after the successful Maccabean Revolt ended the Seleucid Empire’s colonialism overlord ship of Judea and Samaria from the Greeks in the 2nd century BC by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival which is one of the most popular and widely celebrated Jewish carnival.
All the Jewish households commemorate an eight-day “Hanukkah” by lighting candles on a menorah, reciting prayers, and eating foods fried in oil along with exchanging gifts on the eve of Kislev 25 to commemorate the miracle in the Temple more than 2,180 years ago rooted in perseverance and faith—two virtues that are indicative of the Jewish culture and the Jewish faith.
According to the history, then the Maccabees (a group of Jewish rebels) led by a man named Judah, drove their oppressors out of Jerusalem, and lit a candelabrum within the temple that burned for eight nights even though there was only enough oil to last for one.
Hanukkah also means the end to a year-long wait for doughnuts. “The jelly doughnut came into the Hanukkah celebration as the sufganiyot during 1920s,” Thus, it is believed that during entire Hanukkah festival days, 17.5 million Donuts are eaten in Israel.
In Israel, Hanukkah is a winter holiday of lights marking a national holiday. Citizens enjoy it in different ways. Menorahs are displayed atop various buildings in Jerusalem and other cities. Throughout the eight nights of Hanukkah, the Jerusalem streets are lined with glowing boxes that banish the mid-winter darkness, for all to enjoy.
In the post-Holocaust world, Jews are acutely aware of oppression, identity, religious freedom and expression. So, from Hanukkah they learned the need to fight for national independence for the founding of the modern State of Israel.
Today Hanukkah is observed as the freedom and dedication that has developed into a holiday rich with historical significance, gaining new meaning with the rise of Zionism, physical and supernatural miracle narratives spread of Jewish history. Hanukkah grew popular in the 20th century due to its proximity to Christmas. It is believed that since the 1970s, Hanukkah has attained major cultural significance worldwide as Jewish people have been scattering nook and corner of the globe.
Today is 453 days since Israel has been fighting a war with HAMAS terrorist group on 7 October 2023. But even in the face of this darkness, not only in Israel Jewish people living around the world are celebrating Hanukkah remembering the menorah’s light to help it shine brighter around the world today.
Wish our Jewish friends across the globe a safe and joyful Hanukkah. Happy Hanukkah Festival!!!