Hanukkah

Hello! I am Hanukkah, and many people call me the Jewish Festival of Lights. My story is about a time that happened long, long ago. I remember a group of brave Jewish people known as the Maccabees. They stood up for their beliefs and fought to protect their way of life. My name, Hanukkah, means “dedication” in the Hebrew language. This is because my celebration honors the moment when the Maccabees won back their holy Temple in the city of Jerusalem. After their victory, they cleaned the Temple and dedicated it once again, making it a special, holy place for their people.

During my eight days, people share a special story about a miracle. The traditional story says that after the Maccabees took back the Temple, they wanted to light the holy lamp, which is called a menorah. But when they searched for oil, they could only find one small jar of pure oil. It was just enough to keep the lamp burning for a single day. They lit the menorah anyway, and something amazing happened. The little bit of oil kept the flame burning brightly not for one day, but for eight whole days. This was just enough time for them to prepare new, pure oil to keep the light going.

To remember this story of the oil, the most important tradition people observe for me is lighting candles. They use a special nine-branched candelabra that is also called a menorah, or sometimes a hanukkiah. Eight of the branches are for the eight nights of my observance. The ninth candle holder is for a candle called the shamash, which means “helper.” Each evening, people use the shamash to light the other candles. On the first night, they light one candle. On the second night, they light two, and they add one more each night. By the eighth and final night, the hanukkiah is glowing with all nine beautiful lights.

Today, I am a happy time for Jewish families and friends to gather together. They celebrate me with many fun and meaningful traditions. Because the story of the miracle involves oil, people often eat delicious foods that are fried in oil. Two popular foods are potato pancakes called latkes and sweet jelly doughnuts called sufganiyot. Children also have fun playing a game with a special spinning top called a dreidel. On each of my eight nights, some families exchange small gifts, making the festival a time of joy and light in the middle of winter.