Chanukah

Also known as the Festival of Lights, this celebration lasts eight days and occurs in late November or December. The most important Hanukkah ritual is the candle lighting in a special candle holder, called a hanukkiah. One candle is lit each day until the eighth candle is lit on the last day of Hanukkah. It is customary to eat foods fried in oil, such as doughnuts and potato cakes. This holiday is less important than other Jewish holidays, as it does not originate in the Bible, but from a later period in Jewish history (2nd century BC). Nowadays, children usually receive gifts during this celebration, which is the closest Jewish holiday to New Year’s and Christmas (see J-Quiz).