Celebrating Chanukah: The Festival of Lights (14–22 December 2025)
This year, Chanukah takes place from the evening of Sunday 14th December to Monday 22nd December 2025.
Known as the Jewish eight-day ‘Festival of Lights’, Chanukah celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian army.
The festival also commemorates a miracle: a small amount of oil for the temple’s menorah lasted eight days, enough time to prepare a fresh supply. Chanukah is celebrated by lighting one additional candle on the nine-branched menorah (or chanukiah) each night, accompanied by special prayers, festive foods fried in oil, such as latkes, and traditional family games like dreidel.
The Story Behind Chanukah
- The victory: Chanukah honors the triumph of the Maccabees, a small group of Jewish fighters, over a much larger Syrian army around 2,200 years ago.
- The temple: After their victory, the Maccabees recaptured the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to Jewish worship.
- The miracle: When they went to relight the temple’s eternal flame, they discovered only one day’s worth of pure oil. Miraculously, it burned for eight days, allowing time to prepare more oil.
How Chanukah Is Celebrated
- Lighting the menorah: A special candelabra called a menorah or chanukiah is used. One candle is lit on the first night, two on the second, and so on, until all eight candles are burning on the final night.
- Special foods: Foods fried in oil are a longstanding tradition, honouring the miracle of the oil. Popular dishes include latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts).
- Dreidel: A four-sided spinning top called a dreidel is played by children and families. The Hebrew letters on the dreidel form an acronym for “A great miracle happened there.”
- Gifts: It is common to exchange gifts or gelt (coins or money), especially for children, along with other treats.
Chanukah is a time for celebration, reflection, and community, bringing families together to honour history, miracles, and the enduring spirit of hope.
Who will you be celebrating Chanukah with?