THE EIGHT Day Jewish festival known as Hanukkah or Chanukah is celebrated to commemorate the rededication during the second century B.C. of the second temple in Jerusalem. The celebrations of this festival are beginning on December 18 this year and will take place for the next eight days.

It is a wintertime festival of lights celebrated along with traditional menorah lighting, special prayers, delicious foods and games. The observance is also known as the Feast of Dedication, Festival of Light or Feast of the Maccabees, which begins on the 25th day of Kislev as per the Hebrew calendar.

Hanukkah 2022: Dates

This year Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 18, Sunday and ends on the evening of December 26, Monday. The holiday of Hanukkah is celebrated as a festival of lights where a menorah is lit each night of the holiday.

Why Do People Celebrate Hanukkah or Chanukah?

The eight-day festival of Hanukkah is celebrated by playing dreidel, making delicious recipes, exchanging gifts, and singing celebratory and traditional songs. This festival is known as one of the most popular Jewish religious observances and it commemorates the rededication of the Holy temple in Jerusalem. It is celebrated in different countries across the world including the United States, France, Yemen, India, Morocco, Hungary, Poland, Italy, England, Russia, Canada, Iran and Ethiopia.

Hanukkah 2022: Celebrations

The festival of Hanukkah is celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal in parts of the world. It is celebrated in several ways with numerous traditions throughout the world. Some of the traditions for celebrating this festival include lighting a candle each day on the menorah, reading scriptures daily, recitation of Pslams and singing special hymns. Some of the most relished traditional dishes on the festival of Hanukkah are brisket, latkes, kugel and Hanukkah gelt.