As part of the 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, guests can enjoy Holiday Storytellers at various World Showcase pavilions. The storytellers each tell a different legend of the holiday season from their home country. In between the France and Morocco pavilions, guests can find the Hanukkah Storyteller, who tells the story of the Maccabees and the origin of Hanukkah – the Festival of Lights.
Hanukkah Storyteller
A GREAT MIRACLE HAPPENED THERE
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day celebration honoring the trials and tribulations faced by the Maccabees in Israel between 160 and 166 B.C.E. Named for their leader, Judah Maccabee, this small band of Jews stood up against a large army to reclaim the Second Temple from the Seleucid Empire.
Following the battle, Judah led the Maccabees in cleansing the temple. They rebuilt the altar and lit the menorah, a seven-branched candelabra. However, they found only enough oil to last one night. Miraculously, the central light of the menorah remained lit for 8 days, allowing the Maccabees to cleanse the temple and find more oil.
Today, Jews around the world celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah with family, food, and fun. At sundown on each night of Hanukkah, families and communities light the Hanukkah, a nine-branched menorah that represents the 8 days of light, with a central branch, called the shamash, that is used to light the others. People share a feast of foods cooked in oil, such as fried potato latkes, and exchange presents. They also play games with the dreidel, a four-sided top with Hebrew letters on it that come together to represent the phrase “a great miracle happened there.”
Chag Sameach! Happy Hanukkah!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!