Hanukkah (חנוכה)

Hannukah (חנוכה), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day festival, which commemorates the successful Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire, which religiously persecuted Jews, and the subsequent miracle that occured during the consecration of the Temple in Jerusalem. This Temple was desacrated by Syrians and the re-consecration involved burning of the Temple's menorah. For this purpose was needed pure olive oil, but Maccabeans found only enough oil to burn for one day, but miraculously it burned for eight days, until they managed fo prepare the new one. This miracle is celebrated by lighting candles on the unique candelabrum (Hanukiah) and eating food fried in oil, such as potato pancakes (latkes) and jelly doughnuts (sufganiyot). This festival falls on the months of Kislev and Tevet and may occure from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.