Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday that lasts for eight days and nights. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the 2nd century BCE, following the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire.
Key Elements of Hanukkah:
- Lighting the Menorah:
- Central to Hanukkah is the nightly lighting of the menorah, a nine-branched candelabrum.
- The shamash (helper candle) is used to light one additional candle each night until all eight are lit by the end of the festival.
- The Miracle of the Oil:
- According to tradition, when the Maccabees rededicated the temple, they found only a small amount of oil, enough to keep the menorah burning for one day.
- Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days, which is why the holiday is celebrated for this length of time.
- Prayers and Blessings:
- Special prayers, such as the Hallel and the blessings over the candles, are recited during Hanukkah.
- Traditional Foods:
- Fried foods, like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts), are enjoyed to commemorate the oil that lasted for eight days.
- Games and Gifts:
- The dreidel, a four-sided spinning top, is played during Hanukkah. Each side has a Hebrew letter representing the phrase “A great miracle happened there.”
- It is also customary to give gelt (chocolate coins) or other gifts, particularly to children.
- Songs and Celebrations:
- Hanukkah songs and gatherings bring families and communities together for joyous celebrations.
The holiday is observed on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, which typically falls in late November or December in the Gregorian calendar.
