Chanukah is a Jewish festival celebrated for eight days and nights, beginning after the sunset of the 24th day of Kislev on Hebrew calendar.. It is also called the “festival of lights” and is celebrated by lighting candles.

The word “ Chanukah” in Hebrew means "dedication". It is a festival that celebrates religious freedom.

During the 2nd century BCE, the dominant Hellenist Syrians proscribed the Jewish faith and they desecrated the temple in Jerusalem and extinguished the light of the menora(candelabra), which use to burn before the altar. On this day the Jewish people celebrate the victory of ‘Maccabees’ military over the Greek-Syrians and the rebirth of the Second Temple, which had been dishonoured by the Greek-Syrians. The Maccabees defeated the Syrians and restored the temple after three years. To celebrate the occasion, the Maccabees wanted to light the menora in the Second Temple. They searched everywhere only to find a small flask having enough oil to light the menorah for a day. However, miraculously the oil lasted for eight days.

Today Jews celebrate Chanukah for eight days by lighting candles in a Chanukiah every night, which commemorates the eight days of miracle. Chanukah is celebrated by eating foods cooked in oil, as a tribute to the oil that is burned in the temple. Potato pancakes known as latkes in Yiddish are customarily associated with the festival worldwide (mainly among Ashkenazi families). For Israelis, the favourite Hanukkah food is soofganiot, which is a sort of jelly donut cooked in oil.