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Chanukah is a holiday celebrated by the Jewish religion. It commemorates the victory of the Maccabees and the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. The word Chanukah means "rededication". It is called the Festival of Lights because of the miracle of the tiny jug of oil that burned for eight days. The holiday lasts eight days also because that was how long the jug of oil
Chanukah will be celebrated from December 4th to the 11th in 1999. Actually, the holiday begins at sunset on December 3rd. Chanukah follows the Hebrew calendar and that is the
Jewish families gather together at sunset on the eve of the holiday to light the first candle on the Menorah.
There are actually nine candles in the Menorah, the central one, called Shamash, being used to light the other eight.
The candles are placed in the Menorah from right to left but are lit from left to right.
After the candles are lit, the family celebrates with special foods, gift giving, and the children will often
play with a Dreidel. The Driedel is a four-sided top imprinted with the Hebrew letters shin, hey, gimel and nun. Each letter
gives the player their instructions. Chocolate coins or pennies are used to play. The letters also mean "A Great
Miracle Happened There". For more interesting facts about this holiday tradition click here.
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