President Karol Nawrocki resigns from his long-standing practice of organizing Hanukkah celebrations at the Presidential Palace. This year's vacation starts next Sunday, but everything indicates that no authoritative celebrations will be held at the head of the state.
According to “Rzeczpospolita”, the Presidential Palace did not answer the questions of the editorial board about plans related to Hanukkah. The diary states, however, that representatives of the judaic community in Poland stated explicitly that invitations were not sent, which means that there will be no celebrations at the Palace.
Karol Nawrocki resigns from Hanukkah at the Presidential Palace
According to the newspaper's findings, the President's decision is not amazing – Karol Nawrocki said in his run that he did not plan to cultivate the customized initiated by Lech Kaczyński.
When he was asked in RMF FM, “will you light the Khanuk candles according to the tradition that Andrzej Duda sustained and started Lech Kaczyński,” he replied, “No, I take my views and my attachment to Christian values seriously, so I celebrate holidays that are close to me.”
"Rzeczpospolita" emphasises that the president has reason to believe that the Chanuki organisation at the Presidential Palace "would not like his electorate". Let us add, that around this vacation there was besides in 2023, erstwhile Grzegorz Braun, then MP, put out the Chanuque candles with a fire extinguisher in the Sejm. The media around the planet was writing about his scandalous act.
What is Chanuka? The judaic feast will begin this year on December 14
Hanukkah is 1 of the most crucial festivals in the judaic tradition, commemorating the miracle of renewing oil in the days of the Maccabee fighting. The celebrations last for 8 days, during which all evening another candle is lit on the Khanukiji, or nine-game candlestick, a symbol of light, rebirth and triumph over spiritual oppression.
The festival has a joyful character and is usually celebrated in both homes and public spaces. This year, Chanuka starts on Sunday December 14th will last until Monday the following week. Let us add that the dates of the festival change from year to year due to the fact that they depend on the Hebrew calendar.
