Where does the greeting, Happy Hanukkah come from?”
The name “Hanukkah” derives from the Hebrew verb “חנך”, meaning “to dedicate”. On Hanukkah, the Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. The name can be broken down into “חנו”, from the Hebrew word for encampment, and the Hebrew letters כ”ה, which stand for the 25th day of Kislev, the day on which the holiday begins: Hence, the Jews sat in their camp, that is, they rested fighting, on the 25th day of Kislev. Hanukkah is also the Hebrew acronym for “ח’ נרות והלכה כבית הלל” meaning “eight candles as determined by House of Hillel”. This is a reference to the disagreement between two rabbinical schools of thought—Hillel and the House of Shammai—on the proper way to light Hanukkah candles. Shammai said that eight candles should be lit from the start, and reduced by one candle every night, whereas Hillel argued in favor of starting with one candle and lighting an additional one every night. Jewish law adopted the position of Hillel.
