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Can you be a Christian and celebrate Hanukkah?

Hanukkah is the eight-day celebration of a miracle that occurred during the rededication of the temple in the second century, B.C. After the Greek general Antiochus IV desecrated the temple by sacrificing pigs on the altars, Jewish workers (the Maccabees) cleaned up the mess but found only one container of undesecrated oil to burn for the candles (or menorah) while they worked. The oil lasted in the candles for eight days, a sign, for the Jews, that God blessed their work.

Celebrating God’s hand in history by purifying the temple and prospering the Jewish faith is not a sin for a Christian to celebrate. It builds appreciation for what God was doing between the Old Testament and New Testament (this event occurred during the inter-testimental time period). However, it is not necessary to celebrate Hanukkah, nor is there Biblical proof that the event occurred.

There is little historical support for the event.  It's not found in the Mishna (the written Oral Torah) with only a few references in Bikkurim 1:6, Rosh HaShanah 1:3, Taanit 2:10, Megillah 3:4 and 3:6, Moed Katan 3:9, and Bava Kama 6:6.  The Apocrypha books, 1 & 2 Maccabees, don't even mention it.

The ancient Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus narrates in his book Jewish Antiquities XII, how the victorious Judas Maccabbeus ordered lavish yearly eight-day festivities after rededicating the Temple in Jerusalem that had been profaned by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Josephus does not say the festival was called Hannukkah but rather the "Festival of Lights":

"Now Judas celebrated the festival of the restoration of the sacrifices of the temple for eight days, and omitted no sort of pleasures thereon; but he feasted them upon very rich and splendid sacrifices; and he honored God, and delighted them by hymns and psalms. Nay, they were so very glad at the revival of their customs, when, after a long time of intermission, they unexpectedly had regained the freedom of their worship, that they made it a law for their posterity, that they should keep a festival, on account of the restoration of their temple worship, for eight days. And from that time to this we celebrate this festival, and call it Lights. I suppose the reason was, because this liberty beyond our hopes appeared to us; and that thence was the name given to that festival. Judas also rebuilt the walls round about the city, and reared towers of great height against the incursions of enemies, and set guards therein. He also fortified the city Bethsura, that it might serve as a citadel against any distresses that might come from our enemies." [Wikipedia]

Passover is another Jewish ritual that is full of spiritual meaning, its elements all pointing to Jesus Christ.  While it doesn't have all the evidence that the birth of Christ has, it would be acceptable to celebrate on that day God's protection, his power, his sacrifice and his ability to restore what was once profaned.