what is hanukkah?

Answer 1

a Jewish Celebration


PARTAYYYYYYYYYY :)

Answer 2

It is about the 2 miracles. Let me tell the story.....
Once there was a happy jewish comunity. Then one day a mean gang of romans came along with their leader antiochous. They forced the jews to bow down to statues ( which is againstthe 10 commandments) and not to study torah. But they did anyway and then when they heard the romans coming they would pl with spinning tops called dredels. Thena group of jews called the macabees decided they werent just going to be scared, theywould fight the romans away! While fighing the temple got knocked down and the eternal flame went out of the menorah. Then the jews looked everywhere for oil to light the menorah and found just enough to last the night. Then 2 miracles happened. 1st the jews won the fight even though the had a much smaller army and were much weaker with wepons and second is that the flame on the menorah lasted 8 nights which is amazing too. Thatis why Hanukah lasts for 8 lights. The only reason presents come in is because jewish kids are jeulous of the cristains for getting presents.


By the way I am jewish but still celebrate cristmas because my step-grandmother is cristain.

Answer 3

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday. This year's Hanukkah ended two weeks ago. It celebrates the rebellion of the Jews agaisnt the Greeks thousands of years ago (Which the Jews won). The reason why it lasts eight days and nights is becuase when the Jews were rebuilding their temple that was destroyed by the Greeks, their menorah burned for eight days and nights. This is considered a miracle by the Jewish becuase the menorah was only suppossed to burn for one day. It is not a Jewish type of Christmas and it not a Muslim holiday. The Muslims celebrate Eid this time of year.

Answer 4

It's a celebration of lights. You light 8 candles in reference to the time that the Jewish people had only one day of oil and it turn into 8 days. It did not come from Muslims and it doesn't have 12 candles. You can search on the web for more information on Hanukkah.

Answer 5

Hanukkah (Hebrew: חנוכה‎, alt. Chanukah or Hanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd Century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the Hanukiah, or Hanukkah Menorah, one on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. An extra light called a shamash, (Hebrew: "guard" or "servant") is also lit each night, and is given a distinct location, usually higher or lower than the others. The purpose of the extra light is to adhere to the prohibition, specified in the Talmud (Tracate Shabbat 21b-23a), against using the Hanukkah lights for anything other than publicizing and meditating on the Hanukkah story.

Hanukkah is mentioned in the deuterocanonical or apocrypha books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees. 1 Maccabees states: "For eight days they celebrated the rededication of the altar. Then Judah and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the rededication...should be observed...every year...for eight days. (1 Mac.4:56-59)" According to 2 Maccabees, "the Jews celebrated joyfully for eight days as on the feast of Booths."

Answer 6

Hannukah is a minor Jewish holiday that begins at sundown on the 25th day of the Jewish calendar month of Kislev and lasts for eight days and nights.
the short version of the Hanukkah Story is:
Nearly 2,200 years ago, the Greek-Syrian ruler Antiochus IV tried to force Greek culture upon peoples in his territory. Jews in Judea – now Israel – were forbidden their most important religious practices as well as study of the Torah. Although vastly outnumbered, religious Jews in the region took up arms to protect their community and their religion. Led by Mattathias the Hasmonean, and later his son Judah the Maccabee, the rebel armies became known as the Maccabees.
After three years of fighting, in the year 3597, or about 165 B.C.E., the Maccabees victoriously reclaimed the temple on Jerusalem's Mount Moriah. Next they prepared the temple for rededication – in Hebrew, Hanukkah means "dedication." In the temple they found only enough purified oil to kindle the temple light for a single day. But miraculously, the light continued to burn for eight days.

Answer 7

Well its a pretty long story but I shall tell you:

A group of soldiers named the makabes where very brave. They called them makabes because in Hebrew it means hammer. And they called the hammer because they struck like a hammer. They where only 4 or 5 of them (Very Little) And they where in trouble. At that time the Jewish People built the Holy Temple which was the biggest and most fanciest temple. But there where another army called the Greeks. And the Greeks where very strong and powerful and they had millions and billions of soldiers. And they attacked the Jews and destroyed the Holy temple. But there was a huge menorah that had 8 holes in it to light candles. They had to light it but they did not have any oil! Then they found a jug of oil that they thought would only last one day. But they where wrong it lasted 8 days. And that was the huge miracle. We play with drediles and we ate Latkas and Sof Ganate (jelly filled donuts) and we eat gelt (Chocolate candies) and we remember the great miracle that happened.

Answer 8

Hanukka is a Jewish celebration that last eight nights. It celebrates a time when the Jewish people had won back the control of thier temple. The temple had been spiritually raped by the Syrians. The Jewish people found only one uncontaminated bottle of olive oil but it only had enough oil for one night. And it would take eight days to prepare ritually permitted oil. However, a miracle happened and the small amount of oil continued to burn the full eight days. So it is a Jewish law to celebrate this miracle each year

Answer 9

Is the annual Jewish celebration, also known as the festival of lights. This holiday is observed for 8 nights.

Answer 10

It's the day we commemorate the 2nd temple by lighting candle and telling stories about the Maccabean Revolt and the miracles that are rumored to have taken place (i.e. oil for one day lasting eight). Contrary to popular belief it's not a major holiday isn't our version of x-mas. Traditionally presents are given on a different holiday, but if you do get something on Channukah it's usually something small like candy.

Answer 11

a Jewish holiday celebrating the 8 days miracle in old time.
it also called as "the festival of light"