I know this isn't the right place for this question, but there are so many intelligent people here, I don't think you'll mind.

What is the proper salutation of this religious holiday? For some reason, "Happy Hanukah" just doesn't seem right.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas

Happy Hanukah is indeed correct.

You can say "Chanukah Sameyach"

Happy Hanukkah, Chag Sameach, or Yom Tov are all acceptable and appreciated.

Happy Chanukah (or Hannukah, or any variation therof...)is perfectly fine! (but Yom Tov, alas Chele60, is not really correct...)

Last I heard, Hannukah is not a "religious" holiday.....please correct my thinking if in fact it IS...

BeachBoi I'm not Jewish but I thought Hanukah celebrated the victory of the Jews over the Syrians, the struggle for religious freedom, the dedication of the Temple, and the miracle of a one day supply of oil lasting for eight days (hence the menorah).

In my book, that would make it a Jewish Holiday and since Judaism is a religion, a religous holiday.

GoTravel is correct, and it is indeed a religious holiday.
Happy Hanukah and Merry Christmas to all.

I think BeachBoi was referring to the fact that Hannuka is a post-biblical holiday and is not celebrated with any of the usual work-restrictions or synagogue requirements. There are some additional celebratory prayers but that's not so well-known I would guess.

Mommar you are on the right track.I have many Jewish friends and in many conversations they have said it is not a "religious" holiday in that they still work and dont have to be in services at dusk.They refer to it as the Festival of Lights.And apparently, gift giving at Hannukah is strictly an American phenom,according to them.

This seems to be the perfect place to share this little gem. All Jewish holidays have the same theme: "They tried to kill us. We won. Let's eat."

The modern day miracle of Chanukah: you eat one latke, and it burns 8 days!

Hey BeachBoi, that does make sense. I never thought of it that way.

My Jewish friends also say that the gift giving is an American thing.

Happy Hanukah to all my Jewish friends!

You can find Hanukkah in the Bible: The two books of Maccabees in the Apocrypha tell the story of Hanukkah. In 165 B.C., after a three-year struggle led by Judah Maccabee, the Jews in Judea defeated the Syrian tyrant Antiochus IV. They held festivities in the Temple in Jerusalem, and dedicated it to God.

According to the Talmud, written many centuries after the event, when the Jews cleaned the Temple of Syrian idols, they found only one small cruse of oil with which to light their holy lamps. But miraculously, the cruse provided them with oil for eight days. Other sources tell of a torchlight parade in the Temple, which may also have contributed to the tradition of lighting candles on Hanukkah.

cd, no offense meant, but in reference to a Jewish holiday, I meant the Jewish Bible: aka the 5 books of Moses. Both Hannuka and Purim are referred to as post-Biblical holidays in that they are NOT mentioned in the Bible. Cheers, and Happy Hannuka!

Mommar
Ahhhhh the Jewish Bible, well, that certainly makes sense! Sorry I misunderstood. No offense taken, not Jewish, course, even if I were I still would not be offended. Just trying to share information.

The irony of Hanukkah nowadays is that the holiday really commemorates the Jews' resistance to cultural assimilation after the Syrian (actually Greek) occupation, while the modern western habit of gift-giving at Hanukkah is all about assimilation.

To which I say Hag Sameach and pass the applesauce. And the doughnuts. And Shabbat Shalom to boot.

Chanukah is festival and is commonly referred to as, naturally, the Festival of Lights.

Mommar, the Jewish Bible is comprised of more than just the 5 books of Moses. Those are just the first 5 books and comprise the Torah.

Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Jewish Bible, however, Purim is. In the book of Esther.

True, true. The Jewish Bible is called the Tenach, which is an acrostic made up of the three letter that begin the section of the Bible, Torah (the first five books), Neviim (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings). Together, these books comprise what is known to Christians as the "Old Testament." Judaism continued developing, with many other works, the Mishnah, Gemorrah, Talmud, and on and on to the present day, with writings and interpretations still being produced today. At a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, the reading is always from the Torah, which are the scrolls you may be familiar with.
Happy Hanukkah and Peace!