חֲנֻכָּה(Hanukkah)

Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar and lasts for eight days and nights. In the Gregorian calendar this usually falls in November or December. The exact dates shift each year because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar.

Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) is an eight-day Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt (165 BCE). It is celebrated by lighting the menorah (Hanukkiah), one candle per night, symbolizing the miracle of oil that burned for eight days.

Hanukkah is observed by Jewish communities worldwide, with the largest concentrations in Israel, the United States, Canada, France, United Kingdom, Argentina, and Australia. While not a state holiday in most countries, public menorah lightings are held in many cities globally.

Hanukkah is not a public holiday in most countries, including the United States. In Israel, it is a school holiday but not a statutory public holiday for workers. Despite its high visibility in Western culture, Hanukkah is considered a minor holiday in Jewish religious tradition compared to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Hanukkah traditions include lighting the menorah each night after nightfall, spinning the dreidel (a four-sided top), eating oil-fried foods such as potato latkes and jelly doughnuts (sufganiyot), giving Hanukkah gelt (money or chocolate coins), and exchanging gifts, particularly for children.