Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights, an eight day celebration beginning on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. The two books of the Maccabees in the Acocrypha tell the story of Hanukkah. Hanukkah commemorates the Miracle of the Oil in the Temple of Jerusalem. During Hanukkah people exchange gifts and light a single light on a menorah each night for eight nights. The candles are lit by a separate candle called the shamash. More from Wikipedia