Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated near the end of the year. Although it's often considered the "Jewish Christmas", it's not as religious as most people think.
What are the Origins of Hanukkah?
Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. In the Maccabean Revolt, Jews rose and drove Greek-Syrian rulers out of Jerusalem.
Jews wanted to reclaim the temple and show it by lighting its Menorah. But, they only had a one-day supply of pure olive oil to light it. Surprisingly, the Menorah was lit for eight days, so this event was seen as a miracle.
Hanukkah starts on the 25th day of Kislev, a month in the Hebrew calendar. It lasts eight nights in representation of the amount of time the oil lasted. In 2020, Hanukkah runs from December 10 to December 18.
Whether the candle story is true or not is often debated. There have been some claims that the story was actually invented by ancient rabbis. Either way, most celebrate it because of what it represents rather than the story behind it.
How is Hanukkah Celebrated?
Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting a nine-candle Menorah and displaying them. Some play with tops called dreidels and exchange gifts. Gelt, chocolate coins, is also handed out by adults to children.
Some eat latkes which are potato pancakes commonly consumed around this holiday. Hebrew hymns are also sung. It's a holiday for family meetings and gift exchanges.
Hanukkah may not be as popular or as religious as Christmas, but it's still a great holiday celebrated around the world.
*Daniel Dimitrov, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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