Hanukkah
     Hanukkah (光明节) is a Jewish festival. It is celebrated on the 25th day of the Jewish month of
Kislev (犹太教历), which is usually sometime in December. It is often called the festival of lights.
The festival celebrates the time, over 2,000 years ago, when the Jewish people fought against an
emperor who would not let them follow their own traditions and religion. When the Jewish people
won back their temple in Jerusalem, they found there was only enough holy oil to keep the sacred
light burning for one day. However, to their surprise, this small amount of oil kept the light burning
for eight days and nights, until the people had time to make more oil.
     At the center of the Hanukkah celebrations is a candlestick (called a Menorah) that holds nine
candles. On the first night of Hanukkah the first candle is lit, and each day this candle is used to light
another candle, until on the eighth day, the last day, all the candles are lit. During Hanukkah, people
go to the synagogue (犹太教堂) to pray and to remember the miracle (奇迹) of the holy oil.
Hanukkah is a time for family and friends to come together. People exchange gifts and greeting cards,
and children go to parties. Parents often give their children money at Hanukkah. Potato cakes,
called latkes, are a traditional Hanukkah food.