A Syrian-Greek king had outlawed Jewish worship. Any Jew refusing to set aside his traditional beliefs and practices was tortured and killed. With so much bloodshed, it was only a matter of time before the Hebrew nation as a whole would be wiped out.

Yet, because of the courage of a man named Mattisyahu and his five sons, most notably the second son, Judah Maccabee, a small group of Jews fought and won numerous battles. Outnumbered 100 to one, the Jews defeated the strongest Syrian armies, saving the nation and regaining possession of the temple.

Unfortunately, almost everything in the temple had been destroyed. Yet, one small flask of pure olive oil was found to light the golden candlestick. There was only enough oil for the one night — the 25th day of the Jewish month Kislev. But for eight consecutive days and nights, the oil burned.

Because of this and other miracles, Hanukkah became the celebration of national survival and religious freedom. Over the years, it has become known as the Festival of Lights, referring to the practice of lighting the candles on an eight- or nine-branched candlestick called a Menorah.

The dates for Hanukkah vary each year, and are determined by the Hebrew calendar. This year Hanukkah began last night, December 11, at sunset, and will continue through sunset on December 18.

Synagogues in metropolitan areas, such as Temple Beth Israel in Fresno, have scheduled festivities which are open to the public, including a holiday bazaar and a potato latke cook-off. In smaller communities, Hanukkah is celebrated in private homes with families and possibly a few invited guests.

Mary Hoffman, educator at Congregation Etz Chaim, spoke mostly of religious freedom. With both Jews and Christians in her family, festivities will vary when relatives are in town. But the lighting of the Menorah is a deeply personal and important part of the holiday.

Almost every culture in the Northern Hemisphere has a holiday during the time of the winter solstice, that celebrates light, Hoffman noted.

While saying Merry Christmas to Jewish individuals doesn’t usually offend them, saying one of the traditional Hanukkah greetings is appreciated: Happy Hanukkah or Chag Sameach, which means Joyous Festival.

Happy Hanukkah traditions include playing the dreidel. The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top children play with. Each side is imprinted with a Hebrew letter, which are an acronym for “A great miracle happened there”. This refers to the miracle of oil that happened in the Beit Hamikdash.

After lighting the Menorah, many homes play the dreidel game. Players start with 10 or 15 coins (which might be real or candies). Each person places one marker in the “pot”. Based on the spin, the player either wins a marker or gives up one. The winner takes it all by the end of the game. It is said the dreidel game was created by the Jewish people to camouflage studying the Torah when it was outlawed by the Greeks.

Another happy Hanukkah practice for children is gelt, which is Yiddish for money. Gelt might be real money or chocolate coins given to the children by grandparents or other relatives. The practice began in the seventeenth century and continues today.

Traditional Hanukkah foods include dairy for women. This tradition is based on Judith, the daughter of Yochanan the Kohen Gadol. A miracle was performed with milk Judith fed the enemy. Dairy is eaten in memory of this miracle.

Other Hanukkah foods are typically baked or fried in olive oil. The original miracle of Hanukkah involved the discovery of a small flask of olive oil used by the Jewish High Priest, Kohen Gadol. The pure olive oil was only supposed to last for a day, but ultimately lasted for eight. Popular fare include latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot, which are deep fried doughnuts filled with jam.

The final day of Hanukkah is called Zot Hanukkah. This is from the verse read in the synagogue on this day, Numbers 7:84, Zot Chanukat Hamizbe’ach, “This was the dedication of the altar.” This is also the final seal of the High Holiday season of Yom Kippur. It is a time to repent out of love for God. It is also a day for the fulfillment of prayers.

Happy Hanukkah songs include, “Chanukah, Oh Chanukah” and “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel”. A very Happy Hanukkah to all! Thanks to YouTube, here is The Dreidel Song played with dreidels on the piano: