Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev, which coincides with late November-late December on the secular calendar. It is also known as "the Festival of Lights"

In Hebrew, the word "hanukkah" means "dedication". The name reminds us that this holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E.

The following Sunday will be the end of the celebration. This year Hanukkah has been being celebrated from Dec 8th till Dec 16 Teaching English by Fran has joined the celebration as it is also part of the Northamerican culture. Some traditions are:

Lighting the menorah: Every year it is customary to commemorate the miracle of the Hanukkah oil by lighting candles on a hanukkiyah. The hanukkiyah is lit every night for eight nights .

http://www.canaan-online.com

Spinning the dreidel: A popular Hanukkah game is spinning the dreidel, which is a four-sided top with Hebrew letters written on each side.

Because of the proximitiy of Christmas, it has become customary to exchange presents.

Happy Hanukkah!