What Is Hanukkah?

What exactly is Hanukkah? Hannukkah is known as the "Festival of Lights." It starts on the 25th day of the Jewish calendar month of Kislev. In 2012, Hanukkah begins on sundown on Saturday, Dec. 8.

For local events celebrating Hanukkah, click here and here.

The holiday lasts for eight days. It's filled with blessings, games and festive foods. It celebrates the triumphs of ancient Jewish heroes, both military and religious. Hanukkah's tradition are tied to a victory by Jewish rebel armies known as the Maccabees nearly 2,200 years ago. The rebels had regained control of a temple on Jerusalem's Mount Moriah from Greek-Syrian rulers.

As the rebels prepared to rededicate the temple, they noticed there was only enough purified oil to kindle the temple light for a single day. However, the oil keep the light burning for eight days.

In Hebrew, the word Hanukkah means dedication. The Menorah is a candlestand with eight candles of the same height and one taller candle in the middle. The taller candle is used to light the others. The eight represent the eight days the Mount Moriah temple light stayed lit.

As a result, many Hanukkah foods today, like latkes and jelly donuts known as sufganiyas, are cooked in oil to remember the event.