What is Hanukkah (chanukah)?

Submitted by Shahar Geva on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 14:53

Hanukkah Dreidel - Sevivon

Hanukkah is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the freeing of the second temple in Jerusalem (2^nd century BCE) from the control of Antiochus (the Greek ruler of that time) by the Maccabean (aka Makabim, Maqabim) uprising against the Greeks. Following the liberation of the temple in Jerusalem the Jewish people resumed the Menorah lighting ritual in the temple up until the destruction of the second temple by the Romans.

9 Branch Hanukkah Menorah

Hanukkah date begin in the 25^th day of Kislev (around December in the Gregorian calendar). The tradition commemorates those events in many customs such as the lighting of the Menorah for 8 days, Hanukkah games for children (dreidel / sevivon), preparation of doughnuts (“levivot” or “sufganiot” in Hebrew), song singing and story telling of the bravery of the Makabim revolt.

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