Hanukkah, the Jewish “Feast of Dedication,” is an eight-day celebration, or festival, also known as the Festival of Lights. Beginning on the 25th of Kislev, it usually falls around the end of November and or beginning of December on the Gregorian calendar. This beloved holiday commemorates the re-establishment of religious and cultural freedom in Jerusalem by the Maccabees during the Second century BCE and is celebrated with eight days of rituals, family gatherings, and traditional foods and decorations. As such, many wonder: how many days are Hanukkah?
How Many Days Are Hanukkah?
Hanukkah lasts eight full days, beginning on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month on the Jewish religious calendar. The exact start date of Hanukkah may vary, as it is a lunar calendar based on the cycles of the moon. However, it usually falls around the end of November and beginning of December on the Gregorian calendar.
The highlight of the festival for many is the nightly lighting of the Hanukkah menorah, or Hanukkiah, a nine-branched candelabrum. On the first night of Hanukkah, one lit candle is placed in the middle branch and is called the Shamash, with an additional candle lit on each successive night. Food also plays a hugely important role in the holiday celebrations. Traditional fried foods are served, intended to honor the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days in a lamp when the Jewish troops reclaimed the Holy Temple.
The Hebrew term for Hanukkah, “Khanukeh,” translates to “dedication,” in reference to the temple re-dedication. This motif is echoed in many traditional Hanukkah activities. One such custom, known as dreidel, is a children’s game in which spinning tops with four Hebrew letters inscribed on them. Each letter stands for a Hebrew phrase meaning, “a great miracle happened there,” upholding the rededication of the temple and its associated miracle.
In sum, Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish festival celebrated with food, decoration, and activities that commemorate the rededication of the Jerusalem temple by the Maccabees. Nightly blessings and the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah serve as a celebration of the spiritual and cultural freedom that Jews were granted following the reclaiming of the Temple, and it has become a source of light and celebration for many families in the Jewish community.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.