What is Hanukkah?
Quick Answer
Hanukkah is the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights, celebrating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE.
The Full Story
Hanukkah commemorates the Maccabees' victory over the Seleucid Greek rulers who had banned Jewish practices, and the rededication of the Temple around 164 BCE. According to tradition, only one jar of pure oil was found to light the Temple's menorah, yet it burned for eight days. To mark this, families light a nine-branched candelabrum called a hanukkiah, adding one candle each night, with the ninth 'helper' candle used to light the others. Foods fried in oil, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jam doughnuts), are traditional. The festival begins on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, usually falling in late November or December.
Key Facts
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"The story behind the Festival of Lights"