Hanukkah: Light in the Darkest Time

Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) is an eight-night Jewish holiday that usually falls in December—in 2025, it runs from December 14 to 22. It’s known as the “Festival of Lights,” and it commemorates the rededication of the ancient Holy Temple in Jerusalem after it was defiled by foreign rulers. At its heart, Hanukkah is about resilience, identity, and lighting up the darkness—both literally and spiritually.

The story goes back to the 2nd century BCE, when a small Jewish group called the Maccabees stood up against a much larger Greek-Syrian empire that tried to erase Jewish practice. Against all odds, the Maccabees won. When they reclaimed the Temple, they found only one small jar of oil to light the menorah—but it miraculously lasted eight days.

Today, we celebrate by lighting a menorah each night, adding one more candle each evening. We also eat oil-based foods like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts), play the spinning dreidel game, and give or receive gelt (money or chocolate coins).

Hanukkah isn’t a “Jewish Christmas”—it’s a story of spiritual resistance and public pride. You don’t have to be religious to connect with its message: even a small flame can drive out a lot of darkness.