Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday that usually falls in December. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE.
The holiday lasts for eight nights and days, and it is observed by lighting the candles of a special candelabrum called a menorah. Each night, one additional candle is lit until all eight, plus the central candle (the shamash), are burning.
Hanukkah is also a time for playing a spinning top game called dreidel, exchanging gifts, and enjoying traditional foods like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts).
The story of Hanukkah is one of perseverance and miracles. According to tradition, when the Maccabees liberated Jerusalem from the Greeks, they found only enough pure oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days, the time it took to prepare new consecrated oil.
Hanukkah serves as a symbol of hope, resilience, and the triumph of light over darkness. It is a time for Jewish families to come together, celebrate their heritage, and reflect on the importance of religious freedom.
