History of Hanukkah

People of Jewish faith celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, around the world to commemorate the victory of the Jews over the Hellenist Syrians in 165 BCE. Following their victory, the Maccabees, who led the Jews in their revolt, entered the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to reclaim it from the Syrians and to rededicate it to the service of God—the Hebrew word for dedication is Hanukkah. But they only had enough oil to light the temple for one evening. Miraculously, this oil burned for eight nights. This is the miracle of Hanukkah.

To commemorate the miracle of the Temple, nine candles are placed in a menorah, or candelabra, one for each night of Hanukkah. The ninth candle, called the Shamash, is lit first and then used to light the other candles.

Hanukkah is a joyful family celebration during which gifts are exchanged, children play games, and traditional foods, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (doughnuts) are served. Children play dreidel, a game of luck, with a toy that spins like a top. The dreidel has four sides. Each side contains a Hebrew letter that represents the first word in a Hebrew phrase meaning “a great miracle took place there.” This traditional game, however, dates back to ancient India. The Hebrew letters were added later. The foods of Hanukkah are often fried in oil, which is associated with the oil in the Temple lamps.