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Hanukkah
The Festival of Lights — eight nights of candle lighting and celebration.
📅 December 14 – 8 days🌙 Lunar calendar
✦ Why It Matters
Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem (165 BCE) after it was desecrated by the Seleucid Empire, and the miracle of a single day's supply of oil lasting eight days.
✦ How It Is Observed
Lighting the Hanukkiah (9-branched menorah), one candle per night plus the shamash. Playing dreidel, eating fried foods (latkes, sufganiyot), exchanging gifts, singing songs.
✦ Sacred Text
“Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon's Colonnade.”
— John 10:22-23 ↗
Note on dates: This holiday follows a lunar or lunisolar calendar. The date shown is approximate for 2025–2026. Exact dates may vary by one or two days depending on moon sighting and regional tradition. Always confirm with your local community.