Stockings, hot chocolate, lights, ornaments, and gifts. These are what most people think of and get excited about when it comes to the holiday season. Most people are familiar with Christmas, whether they celebrate it strictly for religious reasons, for fun, or both. Christmas is a holiday that many people across the globe adore. However, there is another holiday most people do not know about, Hanukkah! While most people know what Christmas is about, most cannot say the same for this Jewish holiday, so what is it about?
Hanukkah is also called “The Festival of Lights” and celebrates the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C.E. Historical events and ancient texts also document this celebration.

Hanukkah has a historical significance, when Judea was under rule by the Seleucid Empire. Jewish rebels called the Maccabees managed to reclaim the Second Temple. Another important aspect is the miracle of the oil. After the Maccabees reclaimed the Temple, they only found enough ritually pure olive oil to light the menorah for one day, however, the menorah burned for eight days. Now, during this holiday one candle is lit on the menorah each day.

There are nine candles on the menorah, eight for the eight days of the olive oil burning and one extra called the Shamash, or the helper candle. The Shamash is used to light the other candles. This ritual symbolizes the miracle of the oil.

Foods cooked in oil are especially meaningful to those who celebrate this holiday. Latkes, jelly-filled donuts, brisket, challah, rugelach, and many more are just some of the many fried foods eaten during Hanukkah.

Hanukkah is also meant to be incredibly fun! Toys and gifts are an important part of Hanukkah. The Dreidel is a spinning top game that Jews play with. The Dreidel symbolizes the phrase “A great miracle happened there.” Participants follow the instructions based on the letter the Dreidel lands on. Gift-giving is not an intrinsic tradition but has become quite common today; especially for Jews in Western societies, where gift-giving was already become a customary practice. Gifts are given especially to children, a new gift for each day!

Hanukkah is a celebration few people can tell you about. It shines as a beloved holiday for the Jewish people which often gets overshadowed by Christmas. It celebrates the Second Temple and its reclaiming, along with emphasizing the miracle of the oil. Beyond the traditional roots, it is meant to be a fun and social holiday for Jews worldwide.