Hanukkah - the 8-day Jewish festival of lights on 25 Kislev, and how it is observed
Hanukkah is the 8-day Jewish festival of lights on 25 Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE and the miracle of the oil. Public holiday in Israel; widely observed across US Jewish communities.
Religious observancePublished October 10, 2026
- Observed in
- Where observed in 2 countries
- When
- Nov - Dec
- Frequency
- Lunar calendar (date shifts)
- Days off
- 0 days - cultural observance only
- Public status
- Religious observance - schools / shops normally open
Hanukkah is the 8-day Jewish festival of lights on 25 Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE and the miracle of the oil.
The one-line summary
8-day Jewish festival of lights on 25 Kislev (Hebrew calendar), commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple after the Maccabean victory. Date moves between late November and late December in the Gregorian calendar.
The Maccabean revolt
Hanukkah commemorates events in 167-164 BCE during the Seleucid Empire. The Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrated the Second Temple in Jerusalem, banning Jewish practice and installing a pagan altar. The Maccabean revolt, led by the priest Mattathias and his five sons (most famously Judas Maccabeus, whose name means "the hammer"), recaptured Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. The Book of Maccabees (in the Apocrypha) and the Talmud (Tractate Shabbat 21b) preserve the historical narrative and the miracle story respectively.
According to the Talmudic tradition, the Maccabees found a single sealed cruse of consecrated oil in the desecrated Temple, sufficient to burn for one day. Miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to press and consecrate new oil. The 8-day festival commemorates this miracle and is marked by the lighting of candles in the hanukkiah.
Origin
Hanukkah commemorates events in 167-164 BCE during the Seleucid Empire. The Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrated the Second Temple in Jerusalem, banning Jewish practice and installing a pagan altar. The Maccabean revolt, led by the priest Mattathias and his son Judas Maccabeus, recaptured the Temple. Tradition holds that a one-day supply of consecrated oil burned for eight days, the miracle commemorated by the 8 nights of candle-lighting.
The hanukkiah and the candle-lighting
The hanukkiah (often loosely called a menorah) is a nine-branched candelabrum: eight candles for each night of the festival and one shamash ("servant") candle, typically placed higher or offset, which is used to light the others. Candles are lit from right to left, with the newest candle lit first on each successive night. The candles are traditionally placed in a window or doorway so the light can be seen publicly, fulfilling the Talmudic injunction to "publicize the miracle."
Food traditions
The oil miracle is commemorated through oil-fried foods. Eastern European Jews eat latkes (potato pancakes) fried in oil; Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews eat sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), bimuelos (fried dough fritters), and loukoumades (Greek honey-dough puffs). Cheese is a traditional food in some Italian Jewish communities, commemorating Judith, who fed the Assyrian general Holofernes cheese and wine (the story is told in the Book of Judith, in the Apocrypha, and is associated with Hanukkah in Sephardic liturgy).
How it is observed
Lighting the menorah (hanukkiah), one additional candle each night for 8 nights, traditionally placed in a window or doorway. Playing dreidel (a four-sided top with Hebrew letters). Eating oil-fried foods: latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts). Exchanging gifts, especially for children.
The American Hanukkah
In the United States, Hanukkah has acquired cultural prominence far beyond its religious weight. The 20th-century emphasis on gift-giving (one small gift per night) and family gatherings developed in parallel with American Jewish assimilation, partly as a response to the surrounding Christmas culture. By the 2010s the typical American Jewish family spent more on Hanukkah gifts than had been typical 50 years earlier, and public menorah lightings had become common at city halls, malls, and federal buildings. The first national Hanukkah celebration at the White House was held in 1979 under President Carter, and a large menorah has been lit on the Ellipse across from the White House every year since.
Legal status
Hanukkah is a public holiday in Israel, with schools closed and most businesses on reduced hours. It is not a US federal holiday but is widely observed across the US Jewish community.
Where it is contested
Hanukkah is broadly accepted. The relatively recent (20th century) emphasis on Hanukkah gift-giving in the US has been critiqued by some Jewish leaders as an accommodation of Christmas culture rather than a traditional observance. The critique has not produced any alteration of the holiday.
The dreidel
The dreidel (a four-sided spinning top) is a Hanukkah game traditionally played with chocolate coins (gelt). The four Hebrew letters on the sides — nun, gimel, hey, peh — stand for the Hebrew phrase "Nes gadol hayah po" ("A great miracle happened here"), referring to the miracle of the oil. In Israel the final letter is shin (sh), and the phrase becomes "A great miracle happened there."
In other countries
Hanukkah is observed by Jewish communities worldwide, including in the United States, France, Canada, the UK, Argentina, and Russia. Public observance outside Israel is generally limited to the Jewish community, though many schools and workplaces provide accommodation.
Hanukkah by the numbers
Sources
- HebCal, Hanukkah 2026: hebcal.com
- Chabad.org, Hanukkah: chabad.org
- Encyclopedia Britannica, Hanukkah: britannica.com
- Wikipedia, "Hanukkah": en.wikipedia.org
A short history of Hanukkah
Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire. The Maccabees, led by Judas Maccabeus, recaptured the temple and rekindled the menorah with oil that, according to tradition, miraculously burned for eight days.
How Hanukkah is observed
Hanukkah is observed by lighting a nine-branched menorah (hanukkiah), one candle per night over the eight nights of the holiday. Other customs include eating oil-fried foods (latkes, sufganiyot), playing the dreidel game, exchanging gifts, and giving charitable donations (tzedakah).
Hanukkah FAQs
- When is Hanukkah? 25 Kislev to 2 Tevet in the Hebrew calendar (varies in Gregorian).
- How long is Hanukkah? Eight nights.
- What does it commemorate? The 164 BCE rededication of the Second Temple.
- Is it a public holiday? It is a public holiday in Israel; observed informally elsewhere.
Hanukkah in Israel
Hanukkah is a public holiday in Israel, with schools closed and public menorahs lit in cities and towns. Israeli Hanukkah customs include sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) and the traditional sufganiot-eating competition, with bakeries competing for the most elaborate and creative varieties.
Hanukkah has gained cultural prominence in the United States in recent decades, partly because it falls near Christmas and has become an opportunity for Jewish families to mark their identity. Public menorah lightings are common in major US cities.