Chanukah

Jewish festival of lights, also spelled Hannukah, and Hanukkah. The historical story of this holiday is described in I Maccabees and II Maccabees, books of the apocrypha that Jews consider non-canonical. The small number of religious rules for this holiday are listed in the Talmud, and to a greater degree, in various Jewish codes of law.

This holiday celebrates the victory of the Hasmoneans over the Hellenizing Greek occupying army.

See also: Jewish holidays, Chanukah rituals