Hanukkah

What Is Hanukkah?

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE. The holiday celebrates a miracle: when the temple was reclaimed, there was only enough sacred oil to keep the menorah lit for one day, yet it burned for eight days.

Each night of Hanukkah, families light candles on the menorah, adding one more each evening until all eight are lit. The holiday includes traditional foods like latkes and sufganiyot, playing dreidel, exchanging gifts, and gathering with loved ones. Hanukkah celebrates religious freedom, the triumph of light over darkness, and the importance of preserving faith and tradition.