Hannukah began last evening at sunset. Religious Jews always count the change of day as beginning at sunset (or some may choose dark) because when God created the world He said, "And the evening and the morning were the first...2nd...3rd....etc. day. Those of us who use the Gregorian Calendar use midnight as the change of day.
In addition - just as a little tidbit of information, the Jewish calendar months are always 30 days long. To keep the seasons intact, every few years they add another month, which means after Adar, they have Adar 2. The Gregorian calendar has 365 days, with a 366-day year every 4 years to accomplish the same result. The point in sharing that is to explain that the 1st day of Hanukkah always begins on the 25th of Kislev, which is only possible because of the consistent 30-day months.
Hannukah (aka Chanukah) honors the successful revolt of the Maccabees in 164 B C when the small band of Jews was able to defeat the Greeks and reclaim the temple. Today the event celebrates the rededication of the 2nd temple and lasts 8 days. It is "The Festival of Lights" and commemorates a miracle when just a small jar of oil lasted 8 days so the Menorah could stay lit for the eight days.
So - Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate this 8-day event! We serve a God who still performs miracles!
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