The eight days of Hanukkah Hanukkah is a religious holiday celebrated by Jews, it involves the lighting of eight candles, one per day. Some people say that Hanukkah is basically a Jewish Christmas, but that is not the case, no holiday is celebrated the same way as Hanukkah. Also, what holiday has more than three names, Hanukkah does. Its names are Hanukkah, Chanukah, Festival of Lights, Feast of Dedication, and Feast of the Maccabees. How Hanukkah Began Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after it was recaptured by the Syrian Greeks. The Temple was reconquered by the Jewish leaders, who fought the Syrian Greeks; these leaders were known as the Maccabees. When the Maccabees again took over the Temple in Jerusalem, they became the priests of the Temple and also became the leaders of the Jewish cities. When the Temple was retaken it only contained a daily supply of olive oil for their remaining candles, they lit it anyway and to everyone's surprise the oil continued to burn for eight full days, which is where the eight days of Hanukkah originate ( Neusner, 20...