In the second century B.C. Antiochus, the king of Syria, conquered Judea. He forced the Jews to abandon their religion and to adopt his own pagan religion. He desecrated their temple in Jerusalem and dedicated it to his own gods. It was death to disobey Antiochus, but a heroic resistance group formed around a man called Judah, determined to win back Jerusalem. They were known as the Maccabees—in Hebrew Maccabee means "hammer."

After three years of bitter fighting, the Maccabees drove Antiochus out of Jerusalem and out of Judea. They reclaimed the temple, but it had been virtually destroyed in the fighting. The Maccabees cleaned what was left of it, and removed all traces of foreign idols and pagan worship. When the rebuilding was finished, they rededicated the temple to God. As a symbol of rededication, they lit the N’er Tamid, the eternal light which is placed before the altar in every Jewish house of worship. Once lit, it is never extinguished. The service of rededication took place on the winter solstice, exactly three years after Antiochus had desecrated the holy place. There was only enough oil for one day. Nevertheless, the oil lamp was filled and lit.

Then a miracle occurred. Despite the shortage of oil, the lamp burned not for one day, but for eight days. This gave the Maccabees time to make more oil, and the light was kept alive.

The word Hanukkah means dedication, and each year on the twenty-fifth day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, Jews everywhere rededicate themselves to their faith. Because the traditional Jewish calendar operates in a different way from the regular western calendar, the date of the festival varies from year to year. But the eight days of Hanukkah always fall somewhere between the end of November and the end of December. Instead of an oil lamp, Jews light candles. These are displayed in a special candleholder, known as a menorah. The menorah holds nine candles: one for each day of Hanukkah, and a ninth candle, called the Shamash, which is used to light the others. On the first night, one candle is lit. On the second, two are lit. Prayers and traditional songs accompany the lighting of the candles. On the last night, the menorah is a blaze of light, with all nine candles burning.

Hanukkah is a time of great festivity. Traditional foods are eaten, particularly foods cooked in oil—potato pancakes, known as latkes, are a Hanukkah favorite. Gifts are exchanged, and it is traditional to give children a present for each night of Hanukkah. Games are played. The most famous Hanukkah game is played with a four-sided spinning top, known as a dreidel. Each side has a Hebrew letter on it: shin, hey, gimel and nun. Together they mean “a miracle happened there.” The game is traditionally played with chocolate coins, known as geld, but it can also be played with nuts, raisins, or pennies. The spinning of the dreidel is accompanied by songs.

Hanukkah is the happiest festival of the Jewish calendar.