Source: Jabad Lubavitch

On a sunny and pleasant Sunday afternoon, the Jabad (Chabad) Lubavitch of Costa Rica celebrated the Januka Fiesta de las Luces (Hanukkah Festival of Light) with a very special activity for children in the loveable city of San Jose. The event took place at the elegant Avenida Escazu, and it was filled with fun, learning, and spirituality.

In addition to the solemn lighting of the Menorah, participants enjoyed learning about this Judaic religious tradition as they tasted delicious latkes (fried potato pancakes), sufganiyah (tasty filled donuts) and other delicacies associated with Hanukkah. Face-painting, go-kart racing, storytelling, handcrafts, and contests were enjoyed by children. Also on hand were star football players Johan Venegas (an Afro Costa Rican striker who is a favorite of young fans in Costa Rica), Victor “Mambo” Nunez, Jose Salvatierra, and Johan Condega. Children took pictures with the football stars, kicked the ball around and collected autographs.

No Hanukkah in Costa Rica would be complete without the presence of Mr. Dreidel Man, whom you can see in the photograph accompanying this article. In the end, the celebration was all pura vida for the the gantze mischpocheh. The Jabad Lubavitch of Costa Rica explains Hanukkah as follows:

Some 2100 years ago the Land of Israel came under the rule of the Syrian-Greek emperor Antiochus, who issued a series of decrees designed to force his Hellenistic ideology and rituals upon the Jewish people. He outlawed the study of Torah and the observance of its commands, and defiled the Holy Temple in Jerusalem with Greek idols.

 

A small, vastly outnumbered band of Jews waged battle against the mighty Greek armies, and drove them out of the land. When they reclaimed the Holy Temple, on the 25th of Kislev, they wished to light the Temple’s menorah (candelabrum), only to discover that the Greeks had contaminated virtually all the oil. All that remained was one cruse of pure oil, enough to last one night—and it would take eight days to procure new, pure oil.

 

Miraculously, the one-day supply of oil lasted eight days and nights, and the holiday of Chanukah was established.

 

To commemorate and publicize these miracles, we light the Chanukah menorah (also known as a chanukiah) on each of the eight nights of Chanukah. This year, we start lighting the menorah on Tuesday night December 16, 2014.