Chanuka

Chanuka, also spelled Hanukkah, is a Jewish festival known as the Festival of Lights. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. The festival lasts eight days and nights and typically falls in December, beginning on Kislev 25 in the Hebrew calendar. The name derives from the Hebrew root for dedication, reflecting the temple’s rededication.

Central observance is the lighting of the Chanukiah, a nine-branched menorah with a helper candle called the shamash. One candle is lit on the first night, with a new one added each subsequent night until eight are lit. The candles are often placed in the window to publicize the miracle. Blessings are recited when lighting, with two or three blessings depending on tradition; the liturgy also includes additions to the daily prayers (Al Hanisim) in the Amidah and Birkat HaMazon, and some communities recite Hallel in the morning.

Other customs include the dreidel, a spinning top with Hebrew letters, and the giving of gelt. Traditional foods fried in oil, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), commemorate the miracle of the oil.

Chanuka is widely observed by Jewish communities worldwide, with public menorah displays in some cities. In Israel it is celebrated broadly but is not an official national holiday. The holiday has taken on broader cultural significance in modern times, often associated with Jewish identity and resilience.