Channukah begins the evening of Sunday, December 14th this year. So… what the heck is Channukah, anyway? Spoiler alert: it’s not the Jewish counterpart to Christmas. In fact, it’s actually a pretty minor holiday.
It celebrates the recapture of the Second Temple from the Syrian-Greek ruler Antiochus and its rededication. When the Maccabees reclaimed the temple, there was only enough oil to keep the sacred lamp burning for one night. Instead, while waiting for more oil to arrive, the lamp miraculously stayed lit for eight nights. Yep, that’s the miracle—cue the ooohs and ahhhs! Not quite the same as celebrating the birth 
of your savior, I know, but we manage to have plenty of fun anyway.
of your savior, I know, but we manage to have plenty of fun anyway.Eight nights of gifts, crispy potato pancakes (latkes—c’mon, that’s fun), chocolate coins (Channukah gelt), and candle lighting. Now here’s where it gets controversial. Everyone will tell you we light a Menorah… but technically, we don’t. A Menorah has seven branches—three on each side and one in the center. Channukah uses a special lamp called a Channukiah, with nine branches—four on each
side plus the center candle, which is used to light the others, one for each night.And then there’s the spelling. I use “Channukah,” but you’ll also see Hanukkah, Hannuka, and about a dozen other creative versions. Why? Because it’s originally Hebrew, and there’s no official English spelling—so we all just make it up as we go.
So as the holiday approaches, go ahead and tell your favorite Jewish friend: Happy Channukah, y’all! 
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