Hanukkah starts on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev, and lasts for eight days. Here are the coinciding secular dates for the upcoming years:
2013: November 27-December 5
2014: December 16-24
2015: December 6-14
Hanukkah commemorates the Maccabean War of 165 BCE, between the Jews and the Syrian-Greeks. The real miracle of Hanukkah is that the Jews were victorious, against all odds, they beat their enemy and were able to restore the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, which had been desecrated by the Greeks. In a larger context, Hanukkah represents victory against religious persecution and assimilation.
But a second miracle is more commonly known: A story in the Talmud (500 years later) tells of a legendary miracle. After the war, When the Jews returned to rededicate the ancient Temple, they found that there was only enough oil to keep the eternal lamp burning for 1 day. It would take 8 days to make more of this special oil. So the lit the lamp, and it miraculously burned for 8 days, giving them plenty of time to make more oil to keep the lamp burning.
This second miracle is very popular with children. It is understood as a legend only, and appears to be the early Rabbis' attempt to add a spiritual level to the holiday.
Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration:http://judaism.answers.com/jewish-holidays/hanukkah
Only the Jews in Mexico celebrate Hanukkah.
Jewish people who live in England celebrate Hanukkah.
Yes, most Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah.
Almost all Jews celebrate Hanukkah.
French Christians celebrate Christmas. French Jews celebrate Hanukkah.
Jews around the world celebrate Hanukkah, including in Israel.
Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah. (They are not called "Hanukkah people")
Yes, Jews celebrate Hanukkah in many different countries.
They don't. Jews believe that Jews should celebrate Hanukkah.
Yes, the small Jewish minorities in the African countries celebrate Hanukkah privately in their homes.
Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration with no connection to Buddhism.