When does Hanukkah begin?
Hanukkah (the festival of lights) begins on the 25th day of the month of Kislev in the Jewish calendar (November/December). It is celebrated for eight days in honor of the Jewish victory and the miracle of the oil lasting for 8 days to rededicate the temple. This year (2007) Hanukkah begins at sundown December 4th, and ends on December 12th. Why is Hanukkah Celebrated? Over 2300 years ago in a country called Judea (Israel) there lived many Hebrew, or Jewish people. There also lived a very wicked man called King Antiochus. Antiochus ordered all the Jewish people to give up their God, religion, and customs and worship only the Greek Gods. By his orders Jewish temples were destroyed or used for his purposes and those Jews who would not worship how he commanded were severely punished. Some of the Jewish people chose to obey Antiochus, but others refused. Now one of these men who refused to worship the Greek Gods was Judah Maccabee. Judah had four brothers and together they formed an army w
