CHAG HA’BANOT - EID AL-BANAT
WHAT IS EID AL BANAT?
Discover the Eid al-Banat Festival, also known as Chag Ha'Banot or the Festival of the Daughters, a Jewish holiday celebrated primarily by communities in the Middle East and North Africa. The celebration takes place on Rosh Chodesh Tevet (the New Moon of the Hebrew month of Tevet), always coinciding with the seventh day of Hanukkah. We explore its significance, the communities that preserve it (such as Tunisia, Djerba, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Kushta, and Thessaloniki), and its historical origins linked to female figures like Queen Esther, Judith, and Hannah Bat Matityahu, among others. We also explore traditions such as the consumption of dairy products and the sending of cookies, as well as their connection to Hanukkah and Purim. Finally, we include a prayer of thanksgiving that reflects the spirit of redemption and gratitude associated with this holiday and with Hanukkah. This summary aims to facilitate the understanding of a tradition deeply rooted in Jewish history and identity, highlighting the role of women within it.
Eid al-Banat: The Festival of the Daughters
Introduction
Eid al-Banat, also known as Chag HaBanot, Rosh Chodesh La'Banot, or the Day of the Daughters, is a Jewish holiday celebrated primarily by communities in the Middle East and North Africa. In Arabic it is called Eid al-Banat and in French Fête des Filles. This celebration takes place on Rosh Chodesh Tevet (the new moon of the Hebrew month of Tevet), which always coincides with the seventh day of Hanukkah.
- Date: Rosh Chodesh Tevet, 7th day of Hanukkah.
- MEANING: It is a day especially associated with the women and daughters of Israel, highlighting their role in Jewish history and tradition.
**Communities Celebrating Eid Al-Banat**
- **Tunisia and the island of Djerba**, where it is believed that the Cohanim (Temple priests) were exiled after the destruction of the Beit Ha'Mikdash.
- **Other Jewish communities in:**
- Libya
- Algeria
- Morocco
- Kushta (Istanbul)
- Salonica (Thessaloniki)
In these communities, women have kept alive ancient traditions linked to this day.
**Origins and Historical Connections**
Eid Al-Banat is connected to several events and prominent female figures in Jewish history:
- **Queen Esther and the Month of Tevet:**
- According to the Book of Esther, Esther was crowned queen in Persia (Iran) during the month of Tevet.
- Many practices of Eid Al-Banat are similar to those of Purim, such as sending cookies between households (similar to Mishloach Manot), drinking wine, and giving to the needy (similar to Matanot La'Evyonim).
- The Rambam (Moses Maimonides) mentions that Esther freed Jewish maidens who were under the yoke of Queen Vashti, who forced them to work on Shabbat. Esther included them in a fast along with all of Israel.
- **Hanukkah and the Heroines Yehudit and Hannah:**
- As Eid Al-Banat coincides with the seventh day of Hanukkah, it commemorates heroic female figures related to this holiday:
- **Yehudit:** According to the Book of Judith (not canonized in the Tanakh), this widow killed Holofernes, a Greek general, during a siege of Jerusalem. Her bravery inspired the Jews and marked a turning point in the revolt against the Greeks. In Tunisia, it is said that this event occurred on Rosh Chodesh Tevet and is commemorated by consuming dairy products, in honor of the cheeses Yehudit used in her plan.
- - **Hannah Bat Matityahu:** Granddaughter of Yochanan, the High Priest (Cohen Gadol), is also linked to Hanukkah for her heroic role.
The Tunisian and Djerba tradition sees Eid Al-Banat as a memorial to Yehudit, who saved Jerusalem with her courage.
- **Other Heroic Women:**
Some traditions relate the holiday to other female figures in Jewish history, such as: - Deborah, prophetess and judge.
- Yael, who killed Sisera.
- Zera, daughter of Asher.
- Hannah, mother of seven martyred sons.
- Bruriah, wife of Rabbi Meir.
It is also associated with stories such as that of Jephthah's daughter and the expulsion of foreign women during the time of Ezra the Scribe.
- **Hilullah of Abraham Avinu:**
- Rosh Chodesh Tevet also commemorates the anniversary of the passing, the Yahrzeit of Abraham Avinu, the first Jew and first patriarch of the Jewish nation. His memory is honored on this day.
**Traditions and Customs**
- - **Similarities with Purim:** Sending cookies, consuming wine, and donating to the needy.
- - **Consumption of Dairy:** In honor of Yehudit, who used cheese and wine to seduce and defeat Holofernes.
- - **Celebration of Women:** It is a day dedicated to women and daughters, highlighting their strength and contributions to Jewish history.
**CONNECTION TO HANUKKAH**
The miracle of Hanukkah is closely tied to heroic women like Yehudit and Hannah. The festival of Eid Al-Banat reinforces this connection by being celebrated on the seventh day of Hanukkah, a time to remember how these women's actions helped preserve Jewish identity and faith amid Hellenistic oppression.
**Prayer of Gratitude for Hanukkah and Eid Al-Banat**
Below is a traditional prayer that reflects the spirit of gratitude and redemption associated with Hanukkah and, by extension, with Eid Al-Banat:
> Ribono Shel Olam, Kol Yachol; Oh Eternal, our God, and God of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs of blessed memory, may we merit miracles, signs, and great wonders as You performed for our ancestors. We thank You, oh Eternal, for the miracles, for the redemption, for the wonders, for the acts of salvation, and for the marvelous deeds You performed for our forefathers in those days, at this time of Hanukkah.
>
> May the final Geulah (Redemption) be fulfilled today in our days and in our lives, just as You fulfilled it in the days of Matityahu, son of Yochanan, the High Priest (Cohen Gadol), the Hasmonean, with his sons! May redemption also be fulfilled for us, as You did with the Maccabees, when the wicked Hellenistic government rose against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and to violate the decrees of Your will!
>
> Yet You, in Your abundant mercies, supported them in their time of distress. Deliver us today, as You delivered them in their battles, as You defended their rights, and avenge now as You avenged the harm done to them.
>
> May the saying be fulfilled in us: “You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the Tzadikim (the righteous), and the unbridled sinners into the hands of those who occupied themselves with Your Torah!”
>
> Sanctify Your name, make for Yourself a great renown as You did, magnify Your great name, and show the world already how distinguished and holy Your name is. Do with us as You carried out a colossal liberation and redemption for Your people Israel, known and worthy of mention to this day.
>
> May Your children already enter the sanctuary of Your chosen House, purify already the place of Your Temple, purify already Your Sanctuary, may the great golden Menorah already be lit in Your sacred courtyards, and may the days of Hanukkah of the Third Temple be established to give You thanks and to praise Your Holy and great Name!
I hope this organization of the text is clear and useful.
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