6 Hanukkah Traditions That Make the 8-Night Holiday Special
Hanukkah is a joyous Jewish holiday that recalls an ancient miracle after a hard-fought victory over religious oppression. In the first century CE, Greek rulers banned the practice of Judaism. They tortured and persecuted those who dared and desecrated the holy Second Temple in Jerusalem, even sacrificing a pig and installing a statue of Zeus inside. A small band of Jewish warriors, led by Judah Maccabee, rebelled. When the battle was won, the Maccabees set out to rededicate the Temple, which involved lighting a menorah (a seven-branched candelabra) that would burn continuously. Though they scoured the Temple, they found only enough oil to burn for one night. Miraculously, it burned for eight nights, which gave the Maccabees time to find more so they could keep the Temple holy. Today, Hanukkah celebrates that miracle and, by extension, the triumph of light over darkness. Those themes are evident in many of the most beloved Hanukkah traditions. Here is how Hanukkah and other holidays m