What is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah, also known as the festival of lights, is an eight day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev.The only religious observance related to the holiday is the lighting of candles. The candles are arranged in a candelabrum called a menorah (or sometimes called a Hanukkiah) that holds eight candles: one for each night, it's a time of joy where we hope that these lights will illuminate the world with peace and joy.
A bit of history..
The story of Hanukkah begins in the reign of Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and Israel, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. More than a century later, a successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple. A group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean known as the Maccabees started a revolt against the oppression by the Seleucid government. This revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated.
According to tradition, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the oppressors. Oil was needed for the menorah (candelabrum) in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle. Note that the holiday commemorates the miracle of the oil, not the military victory.
We wish you and your families, a happy and joyous Hanukkah.