Chanukah, a Jewish holiday, begins at sunset on December 4th this year.
Its name means “dedication”. Chanukah celebrates a victory the Jews won in ancient times.
Invaders tried to destroy the Jewish religion and culture. They took over the temple in Jerusalem. A group of Jews called the Maccabees fought against them and drove them out.
Then they cleaned the Temple and dedicated it to God again. (This was the “dedication”.) They had only one small jar of oil for the oil lamps in the Temple. But that small jar lasted for eight days. The Jews believed this was a miracle. They felt it meant God was helping them.
Today, Jews celebrate Chanukah by lighting candles eight nights in a row. They eat potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts. These foods are cooked in lots of oil, which reminds people of the oil in the lamps in the Temple.
Children play a game with a dreidel – a top decorated with Hebrew letters. Jews put in prison by the invaders used to play this game to help them remember their religion.
Children also get gifts at Chanukah. The traditional gift is money. Today, many parents also give their children toys and other gifts. This is because Chanukah falls close to Christmas, and the children want to get gifts like the non-Jewish children they know.
Chanukah is also called the Festival of Lights. Like many winter holidays, it is a time for new hope.
