Many Jewish holidays can be summarized as “We fought, we won, now let’s eat,”Hanukkah does not make exceptions.
Rafiq Maqbool/AP
Legend has it that King Antiochus IV, a Greek emperor at the time of the Jews’ emergence from the Greek empire in 166 BC, outlawed Judaism. He also defiled Jerusalem’s Holy Temple with the sacrifice of pigs on its altar. A small Jewish army called the Maccabeesled a rebellion against the Greeks and won. They only had enough oil to last for one day when they returned to the Temple to light the ritual menorah (candelabra) but miraculously it lasted eight days.
Jewish people mark the victory of Maccabees during Hannukah with eight nights of lighting a menorah and eating oil-fried food.
Hanukkah is one of the most recognizable, widely celebrated Jewish holidays around the world — for good reason.