Hanukkah

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish festival commemorating   the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the  revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.

Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, according to the Hebrew calendar and which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar .

The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, commonly called a menorah  or hanukkiah. One branch is typically placed above or below the others and its candle is used to light the other eight candles. This unique candle is called the shammash. Each night, one additional candle is lit by the shammash until all eight candles are lit together on the final night of the festival.

Other Hanukkah festivities include singing Hannukah dongs , and eating oil-based foods, such as latkes  , and dairy foods.

Hanukkah is  a relatively minor Jewish holiday in strictly religious terms. However it has attained major cultural significance in North America and elsewhere, especially among secular Jews, due to often occurring around the same time as Christmas during the holiday season.