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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for December 3, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
December 3, 2018: The 8-day Jewish celebration of Hanukkah began last night and will continue until Monday, December 10.[1]
The celebration—sometimes known as the Festival of Lights—grew out of an event in the second century B.C. At that time, oppressed Jews rose up and drove their Greek-Syrian rulers out of Jerusalem.
To mark their victory, the Jewish leaders wanted to reclaim the temple and light its menorah. Unfortunately, they only had enough pure olive oil to light the menorah for a single day. That one-day supply lasted eight and gave them time to prepare new oil under conditions of ritual purity. It is considered a miracle in the Jewish faith.
To celebrate today, Jews light one candle each evening on a nine-branched menorah. The ninth candle is used to light the other eight. Chabad.org reports that "special blessings are recited, often to a traditional melody, before the menorah is lit, and traditional songs are sung afterward."[1]
Hanukkah, which means dedication in Hebrew, begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar and usually falls in November or December.[2] Many other traditions and rituals surround this annual celebration.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- November 30, 2018 – 3 years, 108 days to read all federal regulations
- November 29, 2018 – 123 third-party candidates received more votes than the margin separating the top two finishers
- November 28, 2018 – 50 reasons we’re living through the greatest period in world history
- November 27, 2018 – 9.5 billion dollars spent by federal government to help low-income and displaced workers find jobs
- November 26, 2018 – 1,007 dollars spent by average American during holiday season
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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