Wishing You a Hanukkah Sameach

Hanukkah is the eight-day Jewish festival of light, this year taking place between 7 and 15 December. While it is actually a minor day on the Jewish calendar from a religious perspective, it has grown in stature in the minds of non-Jews due to its proximity to Christmas, which most Jews do not celebrate. The holiday honours a miracle that took place in the 2nd century BCE, when a temple was rededicated, and there was only enough oil to light the candelabrum for one night, but it somehow lasted for eight instead. Today, Jews celebrate by lighting candles in a menorah, with an additional candle lit each day; reciting blessings; eating oily foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (doughnuts); playing a game with a dreidel (a top) and coins or buttons; and giving one another small presents.