Hanukkah

Hanukkah, Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 164 B.C. after Judas Maccabeus's victory over the Hellenic king Antiochus IV. Known as the Festival of Lights, it is celebrated by the lighting of candles in an 8-branched candle holder called a menorah. The holiday lasts for 8 days, beginning on the 25th of Kislev the third month of the Jewish calendar (approximately Dec.).

See also: Judaism.