Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, will be celebrated by millions of Jewish people around the world, starting tonight.
The Festival of Lights lasts for eight days and nights, starting on 25 Kislev, which usually falls in December. In 2019, Hanukkah starts tonight (Sunday 22 December) and will end in the evening of Monday 30 December.
On each night of the Hanukkah celebration, families light the candles on a menorah. The number of candles lit increases each night - so on the first night only one is lit, and on the final night all eight are lit together.
If it's not safe to have an open flame, for example in a hospital room, electric lights can also be illuminated.
How to wish someone a happy Hanukkah
You can say 'Hanukkah Sameach', which means 'Happy Hanukkah' in Hebrew.
You could also say 'Chag Sameach', which is a more generic 'Happy Holidays'.
Why is Hanukkah celebrated?
In 175 BCE King Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlawed the Jewish religion and desecrated the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
In 165 BCE, a Jewish priest and his family led a rebellion, eventually managing to defeat their oppressors.
When they arrived to liberate the temple, they only found one small jug of olive oil to light the menorah. It should only have lasted for one night, but in fact it burned for eight nights, giving the group enough time to produce a fresh supply of Kosher oil.
To celebrate this miracle, and their religious freedom, the Jewish sages declared an eight day celebration.
Happy Hanukkah!
