Hanukka

Hanukka, also spelled Hanukkah or Chanukah (and less commonly Hanukka), is a Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt in the 2nd century BCE. It is known as the Festival of Lights and lasts eight days.

Origins: After the revolt, the Jewish temple was rededicated and purified. According to tradition, a small amount of consecrated oil, enough for one day, burned for eight days, enabling the temple to be rededicated. The miracle of the oil is described in rabbinic sources and remains a central symbolic element.

Observance: The central ritual is lighting a menorah, or hanukkiah, a nine-branched candelabrum. On each of the eight nights, an additional candle is lit, using the shamash, the helper candle. Other customs include playing dreidel, eating fried foods such as latkes and sufganiyot, singing traditional songs, and giving gifts or charity.

Timing: Hanukka begins on 25 Kislev in the Hebrew calendar and lasts eight days; dates in the Gregorian calendar vary, typically in November or December. In Israel and in Jewish communities worldwide, it is marked by family meals, public menorah lightings, and educational activities.