December 5 marked the first day of the eight-day-long Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Known by a few different names, including Festival of Lights and the Festival of Rededication, Hanukkah commemorates the dedication of the second temple in Jerusalem around the year 165 B.C.

The story of the rededication of the temple is told in the religious books of Maccabees, in which Judas Maccabeus led the Jewish people in cleansing Jerusalem after it had been attacked.

When the rebuilding was complete they dedicated the new altar of the Temple on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, and their celebration on that day marked the first celebration of Hanukkah.

When Judas Maccabeus found a small jar of oil untouched in the desecrated Temple, he lit it for light at night, and that small amount of oil burned for eight straight days – thus the length of the festival.

Today the festival is centered on the lighting of the hanukiah, a nine-stemmed candelabrum. While some refer to the hanukiah as a menorah, others say it differs slightly from the iconic seven-stemmed menorah. The hanukiah’s individual candles are lit one at a time from a central candle, with one candle being lit and blessed on each night of the celebration.

By the end of the eight days, all eight candles have been lit and blessed. Along with the lighting of the hanukiah, special prayers are said and hymns sung throughout the festival, and Scripture verses are recited each day as well.

The preparing of fried foods such as latkes, or potato pancakes, is also a popular practice during Hanukkah. In using oil to fry the foods, individuals honor the miracle of the oil.

Throughout these days of prayer, remembrance and celebration, there is an overall theme of thanksgiving for blessings received and successes experienced by the Jewish people throughout their long history.

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