Hanukkah
Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple.
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that marks the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire during the 2nd century BCE, when the Maccabees retook Jerusalem and rededicated the Second Temple. The holiday begins on the 25th of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar and lasts for eight nights and days. Each night, a Hanukkah menorah—a nine-branched candelabrum—is lit, using a central candle called the shamash (meaning "attendant") to light the others. One candle is lit on the first night, two on the second, and so on, until all eight burn together on the final night. Hanukkah is unique among Jewish holidays because it starts in one Hebrew month (Kislev) and ends in another (Tevet).
Common practices include reciting certain Jewish prayers, listening to Hanukkah music, playing the dreidel game, and eating fried foods and dairy products like latkes and sufganiyot. Since the 1970s, the Chabad movement within Hasidic Judaism has organized public menorah lightings in communities worldwide. Originally established as a feast "like the days of the festival of Sukkot" (2 Maccabees 10:9), it does not carry the same religious obligations and is considered a relatively minor holiday in strictly religious terms. However, Hanukkah has gained major cultural importance in the Western world and elsewhere, especially among secular Jews, as it often falls during the Christmas and holiday season. Among American Jews, this timing has also encouraged the practice of seasonal gift-giving.
The name "Hanukkah" comes from the Hebrew verb "חנך," meaning "to dedicate," because the Maccabees rededicated the Temple after regaining control of Jerusalem. Several homiletical explanations exist: the name can be read as חנו כ״ה, meaning "[they] rested [on the] twenty-fifth," referring to the ceasefire on the 25th of Kislev; the related word "Chinuch" refers to Jewish education, emphasizing ethical training and discipline; and "Hanukkah" is also an acronym for "Eight candles, and the halakha is according to the House of Hillel," referencing a disagreement between the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai. Shammai argued for lighting eight candles on the first night and decreasing to one, while Hillel argued for starting with one and increasing to eight; Jewish law follows Hillel. Additionally, Psalm 30, called "the Song of the Dedication of the House," is traditionally recited on Hanukkah, and 25 (the da
- holiday_name
- Hanukkah
- also_known_as
- Festival of Lights
- observed_by
- Jews (including secular Jews)
- begins
- 25th of Kislev
- duration
- 8 nights and days
- commemorates
- Maccabean Revolt and rededication of the Second Temple
- key_practice
- Lighting the Hanukkah menorah
Lore & Background
The name 'Hanukkah' derives from the Hebrew verb 'חנך', meaning 'to dedicate', because on Hanukkah the Maccabees regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. The story of Hanukkah is told in the books of the First and Second Maccabees, which describe the re-dedication of the Temple and the lighting of the menorah, though these books are not part of the canonized Masoretic Text used by normative Rabbinical Judaism. The miracle of the one-day supply of oil miraculously lasting eight days is described in the Talmud, committed to writing about 600 years after the events in the books of Maccabees.
Reader's Guide
Hanukkah has attained major cultural significance in the Western world and elsewhere, especially among secular Jews, as it often falls during the Christmas and holiday season. Among American Jews, this chronological proximity contributed to the seasonal gift-giving practice. Originally instituted as a feast 'like the days of the festival of Sukkot' (2 Maccabees 10:9), it does not entail the corresponding obligations and is therefore a relatively minor holiday in strictly religious terms. Common practices include certain Jewish prayers, indulging in Hanukkah music, playing the game of dreidel, and consuming fried food and dairy products such as latke and sufganiyot. Since the 1970s, the Chabad movement within Hasidic Judaism has organized community-wide lightings of public menorahs in locales around the world. The holiday is also called the Festival of Lights, based on a comment by Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews.
Did You Know?
- The name 'Hanukkah' can be broken down into חנו כ״ה, meaning '[they] rested [on the] twenty-fifth', referring to the day the Jews ceased fighting.
- The spelling 'Hanukkah' is the most common and the preferred choice of Merriam–Webster, Collins English Dictionary, the Oxford Style Manual, and The New York Times.
- The Talmud presents three options for lighting Hanukkah lights: one light per household per night, one per person per night, or varying the number each night.
- Psalm 30 is called 'the Song of the Dedication of the House' and is traditionally recited on Hanukkah.
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