Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that lasts for eight nights and is often called the Festival of Lights. It remembers both a military victory in ancient times and a miracle involving oil in the Temple.
Basic meaning
Hanukkah is a Hebrew word that means “dedication,” referring to the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem after it was taken back from a foreign ruler. It is considered a joyful festival that reaffirms Jewish religious identity and freedom.
Historical background
Over 2,000 years ago, a Jewish group called the Maccabees fought against the Seleucid Greek rulers, who had restricted Jewish religious practice and defiled the Temple. After winning and reclaiming the Temple, the Jews cleaned and rededicated it and wanted to relight its sacred lamp (menorah).
The miracle of the oil
According to tradition, they found only a small amount of ritually pure oil, enough for one day, yet the lamp burned for eight days until new oil could be prepared. Hanukkah’s eight days and the focus on light and oil are meant to remember this miracle.
How it is celebrated
Jews light a special nine-branched lamp called a hanukkiah, adding one candle each night and using a helper candle (shamash) to light the others. Many families also say blessings, eat foods fried in oil like latkes (potato pancakes) and jelly doughnuts, give children small gifts or money (gelt), and play a spinning-top game called dreidel.
When it happens
Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev and lasts eight nights, usually falling in late November or December on the regular calendar. It has become one of the most widely recognized Jewish holidays, especially in countries where it often overlaps with the broader winter holiday season.