Hanukkah in August.
Sounds like a good idea right ? I mean if we’re going to pair summer months with winter holidays, August and Hanukkah work perfectly. The 8th month would seem like the perfect match for a second snippet of a holiday that famously lasts 8 nights long. It’s the perfect way to share the dream of cold in the depths of summer as hot as August can be.
In the Jewish calendar, there’s somewhat of a precedent for this. Pesach Sheni, literally translated as second Passover, is an extra Passover seder that takes place about a month after the night before Passover begins. This allows people who missed Passover because they were overseas, for example, to experience the holiday.
Over the years, my dad put this particular bit of religious knowledge to good use. The first time was when I was in university and unable to come back to New York to join my family’s Passover seder. But by the time Passover Sheni came around, I was home and ready to celebrate the holiday the way I knew it. Since that first time, my family has observed Passover Sheni a few times since, welcoming relatives and friends when circumstances kept us from having them for Passover (when it was originally held).
In 2020 and 2021, my family wasn’t able to gather in person for Passover, but by Passover Sheni 2022, we did. That year we had three seders- two virtual and the third in person.
This way, following the precedent of second Passover, people who missed celebrating Hanukkah the first time, can gather with friends and family in August to celebrate. We can put out menorahs once more, make the traditional hanukkah foods, and dream of dreidls in the snow….while it’s almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
About the Author.
Stacey Agdern is an award-winning former bookseller who has reviewed romance novels in multiple formats and given talks about various aspects of the romance genre. She incorporates Jewish characters and traditions into her stories so that people who grew up like she did can see themselves take center stage on the page. She lives in New York, not far from her favorite hockey team’s practice facility.
