The Maccabeats have put out a new music video for this Hannukkah.
Hanukkah is always, as it should be, a great time to have a great time. It’s arguably the most delicious of the Jewish holidays. There’s a very visible, public element to Hanukkah (“pirsumei nisa” in the traditional sources) which has become part of the popular culture. And it certainly helps that the Hanukkah narrative has all the elements of our modern Hollywood blockbusters: a victorious underdog, intense political drama, and a last-minute day-saving supernatural miracle.
But why do we eat those foods? Why do we light those candles? Why do we tell this story, reminiscent of a Ridley Scott movie? In the words of this year’s song, a parody of Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass”: faith, family, freedom we celebrate for eight nights.
Our song’s chorus carries a double meaning. “All About That Neis, No Oil” reflects the miracle of insufficient oil lasting for eight nights, but it also speaks to the core of the holiday – how it’s about the story and message of the neis (miracle) much more than it’s about eating oily foods.