Jewish Festival of Hanukkah

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem around 165 BCE. After reclaiming the temple from Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ forces, the Jewish rebels found only a single vial of ritually pure olive oil to light the temple’s menorah (candelabrum), which miraculously lasted eight days. To celebrate this miracle, families light a series of candles on a menorah each night, exchange gifts, and enjoy traditional foods like latkes and sufganiyot. The holiday emphasizes themes of faith, perseverance, and divine intervention.