Nearly Comprehensive YouTube Video Guide: Shutter Speeds for Bird Photography
View, bookmark, and study this 46-minute video and learn about choosing a suitable shutter speed for all types of bird photography — for static subjects, for flight, and for various types of action. Not to mention for creating the pleasingly blurred images that I love. There is so much info in this 46 minutes video that serious bird photographers will wish to bookmark it for study. Scroll down to see the succinct summary below.
Note the Piping Plover image at the 31:40 mark was created by Clemens Van der Werf. It was inadvertently credited to David Pugsley.
What’s Up?
Today is Tuesday 10 December (can you believe it?) 2024. Bob and I will be headed down to the lake before 7:00am, but our streak of 46 in a row morning sessions together will end tomorrow as Mr. Eastman is headed to Vero Beach for 2 days to attend to some business. Despite perfect conditions on Monday morning, we pretty much wound up with squadoosh. On Monday evening we tried something new by working some backlit Boat-tailed Grackles bathing fifteen minutes before sunset. Whatever you choose to do, we hope that like us, you choose to be happy and have fun.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM Lens
Price reduced $500.00 on 10 December 2024
Multiple IPT veteran Geri Georg is offering a rarely used Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM lens in Excellent Plus to Near-mint condition for the might-a-well-be-giving-it-away price of $599.00 (was $1099.00).
The sale includes the original box, the front and back lens caps, the lens pouch, the lens hood, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Geri via e-mail or by phone at (970) 219-4493 (MTD).
This lens is a scenic photographer’s dream come true. It sells new at B&H for $2199.00. Grab Geri’s pretty much new lens and save an incredible $1600.00. artie
Characterized by a revamped optical design, the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM from Canon is a workhorse wide-angle zoom and member of the well-regarded L-series of lenses. Featuring a series of specialized elements, this lens utilizes a trio of aspherical elements and two ultra-low dispersion glass elements to control a variety of aberrations for high sharpness and clarity. Both SWC and ASC coatings have also been applied to the elements in order to reduce lens flare and ghosting for increased contrast and color accuracy.
Complementing its optical prowess, a ring-type Ultrasonic Motor offers fast, smooth, and near-silent autofocus performance, which is further benefitted by full-time manual focus operation and an internal focusing design. The lens is both water and dust-resistant, and fluorine coatings have also been applied to the front and rear elements to protect against fingerprints and smudges from affecting image quality. B&H and Canon
Shutter Speeds for Bird Photography
Below are my general recommendations for focal lengths up to 600mm. When adding teleconverters to long lenses you need to up your shutter speeds, unless you are on a sturdy tripod with a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro.
Exact shutter speeds will vary depending on the skill and sharpness techniques of the photographer, and again, on the focal length they are using. Again, in general, the longer the focal length the faster the shutter speed you will need (all else being equal).
Birds in flight
Ideal: 1/3200 or 1/4000 sec. or faster.
Usually acceptable: 1/2500 sec.
Sometimes you can get away with shutter speeds ranging from 1/1600 to 1/2000 sec.
On occasion, only when caught with your pants down, you might come up with something sharp at 1/1250, 1/1000, 1/800, 1/640, 1/500 sec., or even slower. But those are never recommended for flight.
Note: folks who want razor sharp wingtips when doing flight photography on small, fast species recommend a shutter speed of 1/8000 sec.
Birds in action
Ideal: 1/2000 or 1/2500 sec. is usually plenty unless the action is violent. With lots of light, go with 1/3200 or 1/4000 sec .
Usually acceptable: 1/1600 or 1/1250 sec.
In a pinch (such as in extreme low light conditions), you can often come up sharp at 1/1000, 1/800, 1/640, 1/500, or even 1/400 sec..
Birds moving slowly (as when preening, walking or swimming)
Ideal: 1/2000, 1/1600, 1/1250, or 1/1000 sec.
Usually acceptable: 1/800, 1/640, 1/500, or 1/400 sec. will often be sufficient.
Usually risky: 1/320 to 1/250 sec. You might get one or two sharp ones in a series.
Static Subjects/Lens Unsupported (hand holding, lens not braced)
Most folks can be assured of sharp results with a shutter speed of 1/1000 sec. or faster. Folks with superb hand holding sharpness techniques and do well at 1/800, 1/640, 1/500 sec. or even slower on occasion.
Static Subjects/Lens Supported (knee or foot pod technique, braced in some way as on a fence or with the lens hood on the ground, or best of all on a tripod).
1/500, 1/400, 1/320, or 1/250, or even 1/200 sec should work well (as long as the bird is not moving).
Folks with excellent sharpness technique should be fine down to 1/60 sec. or even slower (even when working at 1200mm).
Shutter Speeds for Pleasing Blurs
For decades, the classic blur speed has been 1/15th second. Remember that at a given shutter speed, the degree of blurring will increase as the distance to the subject decreases. All of that dependent of course on the speed and behavior of the subject and the skill of the person doing the panning. Faster shutter speeds ranging from 1/20 to 1/125 sec. (or faster) can work with birds flying or running by at close range. Slower shutter speeds in the range of 1/2 to 1/13 sec. can produce spectacular images on occasion. The slower the shutter speed you employ the fewer keepers you will have but your chances of creating a contest winner will increase.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
My all-time favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption. Tied for second are Forrest Gump and My Cousin Vinny. What are you three all-time favorite movies?
What’s Up?
As the pool pump continues to die, I have been swimming my daily quarter mile in 70 to 74°F water. I get out shuddering but both my left knee and my right shoulder have been doing great, and the cold thermogenesis does wonders for my blood sugar.
I am happy to report that there is only one slot left on the San Diego IPT and that both Homer IPTs are sold out. Hooray. Anita North is flying home from Nairobi after spending four months photographing all over Africa.
Today is Sunday 8 December 2024. Bob Eastman and I will be heading down to the lake again before sunrise. Whatever you choose to do, we hope that like us, you choose to be happy and have fun.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.
It’s Safe to go in the Water Now
Sony a-1 Firmware Update Update
Last spring, Sony announced firmware update v2.00 for the a-1, its flagship camera body. In short order the firmware story became an embarrassing fiasco. Over time, they announced v2.01 that caused terrible problems when the camera was used with the hugely popular 200-600 G lens. After some time, they released v2.02. About six weeks ago, with some trepidation, I purchased a used a-1 and updated it to v.2.01, and then to 2.02. I am happy to report that it is now possible to go back into the water.
The last update, v2.02, offers some great stuff for bird photographers.
v.2.02 Benefits
Battery life with 2.02 is fine. There are no issues with the 200-600 G lens. Bird Face-Eye AF is significantly improved. Wide AF with Bid Face-Eye tracking has improved drastically. Formatting a card takes about two seconds as compared to 10 seconds or more with previous firmware versions. But the very best news is a brand new feature called Focus Recall. Huge thanks to Arash Hazeghi for pointing it out to me as we worked on an update to the Sony a-1 (a9 iii) flight guide. I took what he taught me about programming Preset Focus/Zoom to a single button for flight photography and turned it into what will surely turn out to be a huge game-changer for general bird photography.
I call it “double button focus recall.” I programmed two easy-to-reach (previously unassigned) buttons to PRESET Focus Distance. I can then register a close focusing distance to one button and a far focusing distance to the other. A tap of either button instantly brings me to either as needed.
I will be working on a new e-mail to my Sony a-1 Group today or tomorrow detailing a fabulous menu find by Bob Eastman that makes switching from Manual mode with ISO on the Thumb Dial to Shutter Priority with AUTO ISO and Exposure compensation on the Thumb Dial much easier than it had been previously.
Fresh caught Alaskan seafood caught sustainably. Save $20 on your first order by clicking here.
Wild Alaska Salmon and Seafood Company
Ever since my two daughters sent me a big box of salmon filets and sea scallops from Wild Alaska Salmon and Seafood Company for my birthday a few years ago, I have been ordering salmon and scallops from them. Now that Junior’s Fish Market in Lake Wales is closing, I will be depending on Wild Alaska every month. I always order Sockeye filets and the Sea Scallops. The stuff comes frozen solid, is easy to prepare, and tastes pretty much as good as the fresh stuff would.
You can save $20 on your first order by clicking here. Eating wild caught seafood is about as healthy as you can go. The scallops are a real treat. When you sear them, be sure to cook them in the liquid that comes in the bag and be sure not to overcook them. I bake or broil the lightly seasoned salmon filets skin side down in olive or coconut oil.
Buy Direct from the Fisherman
Captain Tony has been fishing in Alaska since 1990. Wild Alaska is famous for their wild caught Sockeye and King Salmon! All of our other fish, including Ahi Tuna, Shrimp, Scallops, Cod, etc., are responsibly sourced, caught the right way and closely inspected by Capt. Tony to meet our high standards of quality and freshness. They catch and process all 5 species of wild pacific salmon, and source our other seafood products from high quality sustainable fisheries.
The stuff tastes great and is good for you. Internet orders to the continental United States are shipped from their fulfillment center in the Midwest allowing their seafood products to reach US customers in perfect condition. The flavor and texture of their salmon and other products remain fresher than fresh is because the stuff is frozen the same day it is caught.
I created this image 30 November 2024 down by the lake at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing at full height near the base of the small hill just north of the parking lot by the pier, I used the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority +1.3 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 1600: 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 5:33:49pm on a clear afternoon with just a hint of haze in the low western sky.
Tracking: Expand Spot S/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Bob Eastman with his trusty Sony 200-600mm G Lens
Image by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
The Long Lost Brother I Never Had
Bob and I are out before sunrise pretty much every day and we both love staying till after sunset.
Bob drove down from Wisconsin for a visit. We have gotten along so well that not only is he extending his stay, he is joining me in San Diego for the whole trip. Actually, it is likely that we get along better than most brothers. Since Bob arrived on 25 October, we have been in the field early every morning. Sunday morning will be 44 straight crack-of-dawn photo sessions. We have probably taken five or six afternoons off. Zero arguments. Zero disagreements. Zero unpleasant comments. Nothing but appreciating life, friendly banter, and lots of laughing. That despite the fact that twice I have attempted to seriously injure my friend Mr. Eastman.
A few days ago, I was driving a bit too fast on the South Field and hit a pretty deep depression. As Bob has a plate with eight screws in his neck and three rods in his lower back, this was not a blessing. Having failed to finish him off going forward, I tried something new going in reverse. But first, a bit of a backstory. My $80,000 BMW X5 SUV has lots of bells and whistles. When I pull out of my garage, lots of red lights and a warning siren are constantly firing despite the fact that I am dead-centered and in no danger of hitting anything. At times, the brakes engage and keep me from backing up. Even worse, there are time when I am backing up in some 8-inch high grasses that the warning siren goes off and the brakes lock. I need to pull forward to escape.
This morning — me driving, I was backing up on the South Field along the edge of the south canal with the car pointed north, trying for a ridiculous long shot of a pair of cranes across the canal. I backed into a very solid 12-inch diameter cabbage palm trunk at about eight mph. What a thud. The back-radar that easily detects blades of grass failed to warn me of the tree. Until after I hit it 🙁
I looked in the rearview mirror to see if Bob survived and when I saw the look of pain and anguish on his face, I wanted to cry and felt like crawling under a rock. Saturday evening, Bob is still smiling and is ready to go dancing down at the lake on Sunday morning.
This image created on Thursday 5 December 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated in the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1600. 1/1600 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:31:16am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Northern Mockingbird perched in berry bush
Challenging Mornings
The morning bird photography action has slowed down quite a bit the past few days, mostly because of the clear skies and a brisk wind from the north. December fifth was the last partly cloudy, still morning in these parts. We began with some dancing cranes in soft light. After that, we came up pretty much empty but for working some Northern Mockingbirds along the edge of the lakeshore marsh. When this particular bird took flight, I managed a frame or two with the whole bird in the frame but the flat-as-a-pancake wing positions were far from pleasing so I deleted them all. Not to mention that 1/1600 shutter speed is fat to slow for a songbird taking flight.
The next blog post will feature the long-promised, comprehensive YouTube Shutter Speeds for Bird Photography video. You will want to bookmark it for future study and reference as it will contain a wealth of information.
Note the classic rule of thirds image design.
This image was created by my friend Bob Eastman, also on Thursday 5 December 2024 down by the lake near my home at ILE. Seated right behind me shooting hand held through the lowered window, he used the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:11:41am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Northern Mockingbird taking flight
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024 Bob Eastman
Image optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
200-600 vs. 600 +1.4X TC
While I am working in the front seat at 840mm with the big lens on a BLUBB-, Bob is almost always working in the back seat with the handheld 200-600 GM lens. Most folks would assume that I have some sort of gear advantage. But that is not always the case. While I will always have more reach, Bob has a huge hand-hold-ability advantage. It is much easier to follow flight and action when hand holding the 2-6 at 600mm than it is to be working with the larger, much heavier 600mm f/4 GM lens and a 1.4X teleconverter on the world’s best big lens beanbag. With the latter setup, following flight and action is extremely difficult at best (if not impossible). We are both using a Sony a-1 with Firmware 2.02 and its significantly improved AF.
As we continued to stalk the perched mockingbirds, I took the BLUBB off the window and went with my hand held 200-600. I had advised Bob to up his shutter speed and he did. I was on the bird for something like two minutes hoping that it would take flight. When fatigue set in, I lowered the lens just as the bird jumped right at us to flycatch. I got nothing while the younger man in the back seat nailed it. Way to go, Bro!
This image created on Friday 6 December 2024 down by the lake near my home at ILE. Seated in the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 2000. 1/500 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:19:50am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #3: Northern Mockingbird perched in berry bush
Lead-Gray Skies
Early on Friday morning the light was gorgeous and the storm cloud sky in the west was a gun metal lead-gray. We were searching desperately for an avian subject but our three main perches were empty. We were glad to find another mockingbird to photograph.
Again, note the classic rule of thirds image design.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
This image was created on 5 December 2024 — hey, that is today! — down by the lake at Indian Lake Estates, FL. I used the handheld peashooter rig, the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 242mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 3200: 1/1250 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:21:14am just as the sun came over the distant pines to the east.
Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Sandhill Crane courtship dance jump
What’s Up?
Despite perfect conditions this morning, Thursday 5 December, 2024, Bob Eastman and I did not have a lot of good chances but for the pair of cranes that danced for us very early on. As the birds are silly tame, I went with the peashooter rig to gain 1 1/3 stops of light at f/4 as compared to the 200-600mm G lens at f/6.3. When this one came up in Photo Mechanic, I wanted to jump for joy, just as I did when opening a multitude of presents during the holidays when I was a little boy growing up in Brooklyn. I was thrilled with the sharpness at only 1/1250 sec. and love the wide, bird-scape look of today’s featured image.
My Mom, Hazel Louise Morris, was Protestant when she married my Dad, PFC Robert Edward Morris, a non-practicing Jew. When I was about nine, my Mom took some classes and converted to Judaism. For many years before that, the holidays were a bonanza for the Morris children, my younger sister by two years, Ilene Carol Morris, my much younger sister, the late Arna Lee Morris, and me, Arthur Edward.
Why a bonanza? We always had a Christmas tree and celebrated Hanukkah as well. That meant eight nights of presents in addition to the thrill of opening more gifts on Christmas morning. How good can it get?
There are lots of children in and around San Diego, one of my favorite cities in the world — Hazel and Bob are buried there, who do not receive a single holiday gift. Martin Wood, president and CEO of Delkin Devices who make the flash cards that I have used and depended on of the past quarter century, first became involved with Toys for Tots in 2004. The involvement began when the airport manager at Ramona Airport, Bo Donovan, asked Martin to participate in the annual program. The first year, Delkin Devices and Donovan raised $1,500 for Toys for Tots. Toys for Tots is a program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve that collects (and purchases, with donated funds), new, unwrapped toys during the fall and winter to distribute to children in need as Christmas gifts. Major Bill Hendricks of the Marine Corps Reserve founded the program in 1947 in Los Angeles, California.
Martin Wood with Delkin HR Director Paige Rinehart and a local TV anchor with Delkin Devices’ 2023 donation check for $20,000!
Please Help/Toys For Tots
Martin and Delkin need your help to reach their goal this year. As above, he has always put his money where his heart is, with the needy children of San Diego. Please stop what you are doing and help by clicking on the convenient Donate Button below and making a PayPal donation. Nobody but you will know that you have donated, but I can guarantee that you will be enveloped by a warm glow if you do.
Martin Wood with Delkin CFO Frank Provost, two San Diego Marines, and last year’s huge Toys For Tots check for $147,520!
An e-Mail From Delkin Devices President and CEO
Update on 19th annual Toys for Tots Three Days Out!
Hello Generous friends, Things have improved, but we are not there yet!
So far, we have collected $32,050 from all our generous sponsors, and folks giving to help the less fortunate kids in Southern California. We are technically $118,200 short of our goal for the event. Toys like everything else have gone way up in price, making this even more important.
Last year a box of toys cost around $325. This year it is closer to $500!
But do not despair, this is not far off from where we were three days before the collection last year.
We have hundreds of boxes of toys coming in. These are counted at around $500 each. Last year we ended up around 298 boxes, so those could be enough to put us over the goal.
We have Bikes and eBikes, they are counted at $75 for small, $125 for large, and $250 for eBikes. And we always collect a few checks and cash at the event, last year just over $11k. The day of the event sometimes adds 20+ boxes of toys from the generous folks walking into and out of Wal-Mart. Remember, it helps poor kids, it is with the Marines, whom you can trust, it is non-denominational, and it is tax deductible!
Paige and I along with Jorge Barajas (Delkin Quality Engineer) will be on TV, both 7/39 and Telemundo tomorrow at 6:15AM, between news programs in the AM to promote the event. Our ads in the papers are paying off, we get a box or two a week of toys from folks dropping off at the building. An article about this, our 19th year, was in the Poway Chieftain, which brought on more donations.
Big Box Storage, a sponsor has their bus stop ads all over town, and will probably bring a box to the event. Wake World has their annual auction, please pop over and buy some donated Delkin products along with many others that all goes to the Tots. This year a local business has a boat on auction! Check it out here.
Please donate any amount you can, even $5 goes to the Marines as a worthy donation to buy a toy for a kid who might get nothing!
Date Saturday, December 7th, 2024
Time 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM (we will be there earlier and later)
Location Poway Wal-Mart — 13425 Community Rd 9off Poway Rd) Parking Lot
See the Military Trucks and Jeeps (WWII) at the office and the event. Marines will be there, a giant American Flag, and a Marine Corp Crane. Plus, a free lunch with Taco Love, Holiday Music, happy, friendly people, etc. Please invite your neighbors, friends, Family, and all those you know to help us this year. Send me your ideas and advice to continue growing this event. 100% of every penny and Barbie doll goes to the kids through the US Marines.
Thanks very much.
Martin
The 2024 BIRDS AS ART Toys For Tots check.
Please Give What You Can Comfortably Afford
A donation of as little as $5.00 can put smile on the face of a child this holiday season. Please Donate whatever you can afford. Every little bit helps but you need to act fast.
Thanks with love, artie
Hanukkah
Hanukkah (also spelled “Chanukah”), is an eight-day winter “festival of lights,” which begins each year on the 25th day of the Jewish calendar month of Kislev. Because the Hebrew calendar is based on the lunar cycle, the dates of Jewish holidays according to the Gregorian calendar change yearly. For this reason, the beginning of Hanukkah can range from late November to late December.
In short, Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after a group of Jewish warriors defeated the occupying Greek armies. The festival celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and spirituality over materiality.
This festival commemorates events in Judea more than 2,000 years ago when the Syrian king Antiochus ordered the Jews to abandon the Torah and publicly worship the Greek gods. This act provoked a rebellion led by Judas Maccabeus, climaxed by the retaking of the Temple in Jerusalem, which the Syrians had desecrated. The army of Jews won despite their small numbers. In an eight-day celebration, the “Maccabees” (as the rebels came to be known), cleansed and rededicated the Temple.
According to the Talmud, there was only enough consecrated oil to re-light the candelabra for one day, yet, miraculously, it remained lit for eight days until a new supply of pure oil (likely olive oil), was made.
Adapted from the article by Catherine Boeckmann on the ALMANAC website here.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
