Hanukkah
Friday, December 4, 2026
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. The holiday begins on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, which falls between late November and late December in the Gregorian calendar. The central event commemorated is the Maccabees' victory over the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who had outlawed Judaism and desecrated the Temple by installing an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs. After retaking the Temple, the Maccabees cleansed and rededicated it. According to the Talmud, a single day's supply of consecrated oil miraculously burned for eight days until new oil could be prepared, thus establishing the eight-day celebration. Though not a biblically mandated holiday like Passover or Yom Kippur, Hanukkah is one of the most widely observed Jewish festivals worldwide.
History
The story of Hanukkah is recorded in the Books of the Maccabees, which are part of the Apocrypha. In 167 BCE, Antiochus IV Epiphanes issued decrees prohibiting Jewish religious practice and desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem. The priest Mattathias and his five sons, led by Judah Maccabee, led a rebellion. After three years of guerrilla warfare, the Maccabees recaptured Jerusalem in 164 BCE and purified the Temple, removing pagan icons and restoring sacrificial worship. The miracle of the oil lasting eight days was first recorded in the Talmud (Shabbat 21b) centuries later. The festival's significance evolved over time, shifting from a celebration of military victory to a commemoration of the miracle of light, emphasizing spiritual endurance over political triumph. In modern times, Hanukkah gained additional prominence in Western countries due to its proximity to Christmas.
How It's Celebrated
Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting the nine-branched menorah (hanukkiah) each night, adding one candle per night until all eight are lit on the final evening. The candles are placed from right to left but lit from left to right, accompanied by blessings and traditional songs including 'Maoz Tzur.' Families exchange gifts, often one per night, and children play with dreidels (spinning tops) inscribed with Hebrew letters. Traditional foods fried in oil are eaten, particularly latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts), symbolizing the miracle of the oil. Public menorah lightings are held in town squares and community centers. In Israel, the holiday is marked by school vacations, festive meals, and the tradition of eating dairy foods and sufganiyot.