Jewish holidays - Hanukkah

One of the oldest dates that Jews around the world celebrate annually is the day of Hanukkah - the Jewish holiday of eight candles The holiday date is dedicated to historical events that occurred in ancient Jerusalem more than a hundred years BC Israel in those days was under Greek rule, but the Jewish people were no strangers to oppression They knew what slavery was since the time of Moses But the new rulers encroached on the most sacred thing for every Jew, his faith The highly cultured Greeks believed that they were doing good by spreading their religion in other countries Thousands of Jewish traditions were banned, and Judaism was eradicated in various ways Even the famous Jerusalem temple was turned into the abode of pagan deities, offending the feelings of believers The Israelites could no longer tolerate such sacrilege Peaceful, God-fearing people decided to repel the enemies of their faith, and a popular insurgency gradually took shape Carrying out constant attacks on enemies, Israeli spontaneous detachments slowly but surely won victory after victory The faith of their ancestors gave them strength, pagan idols were overthrown, and the temple of Jerusalem was recaptured When the winners entered the temple, they were struck by the degree of desecration of the shrine Only the life-giving fire of candles cooked in special oil could cleanse the temple space Oil was found, but very little This little amount should only be enough for a day And yet the believers lit the fire, trusting in the mercy of God And the miracle happened, the fire burned without ceasing for eight whole days This time was enough to prepare a new portion of oil, which means the light illuminating the walls of the temple could burn for a very long time In memory of those ancient events, Jews around the world celebrate Hanukkah by lighting one candle for eight days Every holiday it is necessary to read blessings, and offer sweet treats to relatives, friends and guests, among which dairy dishes occupy a special place The periods before and after the holiday are fasting, but during Hanukkah fasting is strictly prohibited Children especially love Hanukkah, because on these memorable days they are free from school and receive many gifts from their relatives