List of Jewish Festivals

Jewish Festival of Chanukah

Chanukah is sometimes also spelled "Hanukkah" and is known as the Festival of Lights. It commemorates eight days of dedicating the second Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean war around the 2nd century BCE. Therefore, for a total of eight nights, which is the 25th day of the Hebrew Calendar (Kislev) and typically can be anytime in late November or December according to the Gregorian calendar.

Chanukah is celebrated with the Menorah, which includes the 9 branch candelabrum, four on either side and the 9th in the middle. The ninth holder is called the shamash or the helper that is used to light the other candles. In the Talmud, it speaks about the Maccabees victory and how there was only a specific amount of oil that was enough to light the Temple for just one day, but by a miracle, the oil burned for eight days, which is how long it took to make new olive oil.

For eight days, one of the candles on the Menorah is lit. Because Chanukah typically falls around the same time that Christmas does each year, the tradition became to give a gift for each of the eight days of the festival. They are traditionally small gifts that are fun and offer some reminder of the festival itself.