The History of Hanukkah

By History.com, adapted by Newsela staff on 12.09.16

Word Count 408

U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama look on as Israeli President Reuven Rivlin lights the
menorah during a Hanukkah reception at the White House in Washington, D.C., December 9, 2015. JIM WATSON/AFP/
Getty Images

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday. It lasts eight days. The holiday celebrates the rebuilding of
the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is city in Israel. It is a holy city for people of
Jewish faith.

Hanukkah is usually in November or December. It is also called the Festival of Lights. It is

celebrated with the lighting of the menorah. Hanukkah is also celebrated with food, games
and gifts.

History of Hanukkah

The events that led to Hanukkah took place almost 2,200 years ago. A foreign king ruled
the Land of Israel then. He outlawed the Jewish religion. His soldiers put up an altar to a
Greek god. They put it in the city's Second Temple. They killed a pig in the temple. They
wanted to make this religious place less holy.

Judah Maccabee fought to make the soldiers leave Jerusalem. In two years, they were
gone. Judah told his people to clean the temple. He told them to light the menorah. This
gold candle holder had seven branches.

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The Hanukkah "miracle"

The Talmud is an important Jewish text. It says there was a miracle at the temple. A miracle
is something good that happens. It cannot be explained.

At the temple, there was just enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Yet it lasted for
eight nights.

Other interpretations of the Hanukkah story

Some historians have others ideas of the Hanukkah story. They think there was a war
between two groups of Jews. One group wanted to keep Jewish ways. The other wanted
to change. They wanted to follow the ways of the foreign king.

Other historians think the first Hanukkah was a celebration of another holiday. Sukkot is an
important Jewish holiday. It lasts seven days. The celebration may have been late due to
the fighting.

Hanukkah traditions

Hanukkah is eight nights long. A menorah with nine branches is lit. Each night, another
candle is added after sundown.

A Hanukkah tradition is to eat food fried in oil. One favorite is latkes. These are potato
pancakes. Another is sufganiyot. These are donuts filled with jam.

On Hanukkah, people give gifts. Children spin tops called dreidels.

Hanukkah is a celebration. Yet it is not a big religious holiday. There is no need to miss
school or work for it.

Did you know?

The Torah is a book of Jewish teachings. It does not talk about Hanukkah. The events that
began Hanukkah happened after it was written.

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