Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that lasts for eight days. Its name means “dedication.” The festival remembers the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after it had been made unclean by foreign rulers in the second century BC.

Hanukkah is also called the Festival of Dedication. The New Testament mentions this festival when Jesus was in Jerusalem during the winter (John 10:22–23).

Jewish families celebrate Hanukkah by lighting a special nine-branched lamp each evening, praying, singing, and sharing special foods.

See Feasts and Festivals of Israel; Judaism.