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Hanukkah

Hanukkah

Hanukkah (or Chanukah) is the Jewish holiday also known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah means dedication. The Festival of Lights commemorates the victorious Maccabees who liberated the land of Israel from the Syrian Greeks in 167 B.C.E . The Maccabees rededicated the temple and only had enough oil for one day for the menorah but miraculously the oil lasted 8 days.

Top Questions Asked on ChaCha.com for Hanukkah

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  1. What does the jewish feast of Hanukkah celebrate?

    Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple of Jerus...

  2. Which direction do we place the Hanukkah candles on the menorah?

    Candles are placed on the Menorah from right to left, but lit...

  3. Why is it 8 days for Hanukkah?

    It is to commemorate the tale of that little jar of oil that ...

  4. What is the difference between Kwanzaa and Hanukkah?

    Hannuka is celebrated by Jewish peoples the world over, Kwanz...

  5. How many candles does the Hanukkah thing have on it?

    The Chanukah menorah has 9 branches; 8 for each day of Chanuk...

  1. How many days are there of Hanukkah?

    Chanukkah, also known as the festival of lights, is an 8 day ...

  2. What does the jewish feast of Hanukkah celebrate?

    Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple of Jerus...

  3. What is the difference between Hanukkah and chanukah?

    Chanukah and Hanukkah are both the same Jewish "festival of l...

  4. What is the eight candle holder for hanukkah?

    The candle holder used in the Jewish tradition during Hanukka...

  5. What is the actual event Hanukkah is celebrating?

    The holiday commemorates the rededication of the holy Temple ...

  1. What does the jewish feast of Hanukkah celebrate?

    Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple of Jerus...

  2. Why do the Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah?

    Chanukah is the Jewish festival of rededication, also known a...

  3. What do they do to celebrate Hanukkah?

    Reoccupied the Temple of Jerusalem, where they found enough o...

  4. When does Hanukkah start and end this year?

    Hanukkah starts at sundown on December 11, 2009. The holiday ...

  5. Who celebrate hanukkah?

    Yes, Hanukkah is celebrated by Jewish people living all over ...

Top Questions Asked on ChaCha Mobile for Hanukkah

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  1. What are 20 facts about Hanukkah?

    Here are 20 different facts about the Jewish holiday of Hanhu...

  2. What is the hanukkah candle called?

    The Hanukkah candle is also called the Shamash candle. ChaCha!

  3. Why do Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah?

    Chanukah is probably one of the best known Jewish holidays, n...

  4. What is the Jewish thing that holds candles for Hanukkah?

    The candle holder you are speaking of is called a Menorah. Ch...

  5. Do Jewish people only light candles for Hanukkah?

    Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the red...

About Hanukkah

Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Bible. It wasn’t until 600 years after the Maccabees defeated the Greeks that it appears in the Talmud, in detail, describing the celebration. Hanukkah speaks of religious freedom and liberty making it an important Jewish holiday to be celebrated by its people.

In the US Hanukkah gained popularity in the 19th century when two Rabbis from Cincinnati, Ohio, wanted to connect their children to the synagogue. It gave them something to celebrate at the same time many Christians were celebrating Christmas.

This celebration was widely publicized and was soon being celebrated around the country. Hanukkah again became extremely important in the early 20th century when over 2 million Jewish immigrants came to America. Hanukkah allowed them to connect with each other and celebrate their religious freedom which had been oppressed for so many years.

Hanukkah traditions are an important part of the celebration. The best known are playing the Dreidel game and lighting the Menorah and saying blessings. As a family you can do other Hanukkah themed activities like reading stories about the history, making Hanukkah cards for friends and family and allowing the children to help prepare the food for the festivities. Generosity is an important part of Hanukkah, so don’t forget to set the table with an extra plate for that wondering stranger who might need a place to eat!

Related Images

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Ultra Orthodox Jews receives Hanukkah Donuts during the last night of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah in Beit Shemesh on December 27,2011, as thousands of Israelis seculars and orthodox Jews protested in this central Israeli town against gender segregation of women by some fanatic ultra orthodox groups living next to the neighborhood.

Israeli peace activists light Hanukkah candles in the Jewish settlement of Netiv Haasara, near the border with the Gaza Strip, on December 26, 2011. Eight candles were lit, each representing a different human value such as hope, peace and good neighborly relations, to show solidarity from resident of the Israeli Sderot area with the neighbouring Palestinians in Gaza.

A rabin lights a 'Hanukkah menorah' prior to an Euroleague group C basketball match between club Spirou Charleroi and Maccabi Tel Aviv on December 22, 2011 in Charleroi.

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 21: Rabbi Michael Fienberg lights a Hanukkah candle at a service at Judson Memorial Church on National Homeless Persons Memorial Day on December 21, 2011 in New York City. The annual interfaith service is organized by the homeless advocacy group Picture the Homeless, a grassroots organization founded and led by homeless people. According to Coalition for the Homeless,in New York City 41,200 homeless men, women, and children sleep each night in municipal homeless shelters.

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Hanukkah