The story of Hanukkah begins in Greek Seleucid Empire-occupied Israel in the year 164 B.C. King Antiochus and his soldiers entered the Temple of Solomon and despoiled all the holy vessels, including sacred olive oils used to light the menorah, the seven-branched gold candelabrum which was kept permanently lighted. Greek authorities issued new edicts forbidding Jewish practices such as Sabbath observance. Even to profess that one was a Jew was punishable by death.
The high Priest Mattisyahu formed a band of guerrillas and fled to the hills, executing night raids on their tormentors. The revolution had begun.
Judah Maccabee, one of the greatest freedom fighters in Jewish history, gathered an army. With God's help, he managed to defeat the enemy and recapture Jerusalem.
On re-entering the devastated Holy Temple, the victorious Jews searched for any sacred oil that might have remained sealed and usable. They found just one small flagon of oil — enough to burn for one day, but eight days were needed to prepare more oil suitable for this purpose.
The miracle of Hanukkah was that this tiny amount of oil burned in the gold Menorah, for eight full days, enabling the new kosher oil to be prepared in the meantime.
Today it is common for people to place their Hanukkah lights in the window for all to see. It is a joyous time when children receive gifts of money or small presents.
They play a game by spinning a top (dreidel) that has a different Hebrew letter on each side. The tradition began when Greeks forbade the study of the Torah. The people studied in small groups and quickly took out the dreidel if Greek soldiers came near.
