Hanukkah 2023

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Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday of the Festival of Lights, runs from sundown on Thursday to Friday, Dec. 15.

Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, is an 8-day Jewish festival marking the miraculous victory of the Maccabees, Jewish freedom fighters, over the Seleucidian Greek occupiers in the year 139 BCE, Chabad.org explains.

After recapturing Jerusalem’s Holy Temple, which had been converted into a place of idol worship, they searched for pure oil with which to light the Temple menorah. They found just enough to burn for one day, but miraculously, it burned for eight days until more oil could be brought.

gifts for hanukkah
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Observing Hanukkah

Hanukkah is celebrated with various traditions:

  • Lighting of the menorah
  • Playing dreidel
  • Eating special foods
  • Exchanging gifts

Families come together to share the joy of the festival, emphasizing the themes of light, hope and resilience.

Hanukkah, a festival rooted in historical significance and religious traditions, serves as a reminder of the triumph of light over darkness. While the specific date of Hanukkah varies each year, the essence of the celebration remains constant.

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