Hanukkah is the celebration of the “Miracle of Hanukkah.” It is observed every year around December, although the exact date varies because it follows the lunar calendar.
In 168 BCE, the Syrian king sent his army to seize a Jewish temple and outlaw Judaism in the area. The king installed idols of Greek Gods for worship, and the temple was renamed after the Greek God Zeus.
Later that year, the Jewish people began to rebel. Despite being outnumbered, they won two major battles. After the Syrians retreated, the Jewish people returned to the temple.
It was Jewish tradition to light a menorah in the temple every night, but they needed olive oil. Unfortunately, the temple had only one day’s worth of olive oil. Since olive oil was difficult to produce, it would take time to make more. Despite this, they continued the tradition, and miraculously, the oil lasted eight days, providing enough time to produce more.
Today, Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah for eight days annually. They light candles each night, lighting the shamash—the central candle on the menorah. This candle lights another candle each night, one on the first night, two on the second, and so on, until all are lit.
During Hanukkah, Jewish people may play dreidel, a gambling game usually played with chocolate coins, or gelt, instead of money. The dreidel is a spinning top with four sides, each marked with a different Hebrew letter: gimel (ג), hay (ה), nun (נ), and shin (ש). Depending on the letter the dreidel lands on, players add to or take from the pot.
Traditional foods eaten during Hanukkah include latkes (potato pancakes), matzo ball soup, sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts), and challah (bread). Nathan Rappaport(12) said he has had both challah and matzo ball soup but prefers challah.
Hanukkah in the Jewish Language (Hebrew) means determination, the celebration is named Hanukah because the candles would never go out.
