Feast of Dedication: Hanukkah menorah and holiday decorations

Learn About The Feast of Lights{Hannukkah|The Feast of Lights|Chanukah}

The Jewish festival known by most as Hannukkah is also called the "Feast of the Maccabees" or the "Feast of Lights" and historically beginning twenty-five days into the ninth month, called Kislev, according to the Hebrew calendar, and continues over an eight day period. This commemoration was instituted in response to Judas Maccabaeus purification the Jerusalem temple because Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian Ruler, contaminated it in the year 168 B.C. by set up a pagan shrine to the God Zeus Olympius.

According to Jewish tradition when the {perpetual|lasting} temple lantern needed to be lit again there was a single flask of {holy|sacred} oil left that endured an entire eight days. As a {memory|reminder}, in Jewish {synagogues|temples} and homes you will see numerous flickering menorahs. Branches of the menorah are lit beginning the first {festival|observance} night and on every following {night|evening} until the entire eight days are finished. Due to the intense amount of glowing menorahs the celebration goes by the name "Festival of Lights." The reason that Judas picked this particular day in order to institute the {altar|sanctuary} was because Antiochus put together his altar on the same day; therefore some imply that the twenty fifth day of Kislev also signified the day of Antiochus’s festival which may have been the same {day|period} as the winter solstice.