Festival of Lights

E53923

Festival of Lights is a common English name for Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple and the miracle of the oil.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn 1

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Hanukkah
Jewish holiday
religious festival
alsoKnownAs Hanukkah
alsoSpelled Hanukkah
surface form: Chanukah
associatedWithHistoricalEvent Maccabean Revolt
victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire
associatedWithPlace Jerusalem
candleCountOnHanukkiah 9
category Jewish festivals and holidays
winter festivals
centralRitualObject Hanukkiah
surface form: Hanukkah menorah

Hanukkiah
surface form: hanukkiah
commemorates miracle of the oil
rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem
culturalSignificance major symbol of Jewish identity in the diaspora
hasComponent eight main candles
shamash candle
hasNameInEnglish Festival of Lights self-link
hasTheme light overcoming darkness
rededication and purification of the Temple
lightingLocationTradition at home, often in a window or doorway
lightingPattern one additional candle lit each night
liturgicalElement Al HaNissim
Hallel
locationOfOrigin Eretz HaKodesh
surface form: Land of Israel
miracleDescription one day’s supply of oil lasted eight days
numberOfDays 8
observedBy Jews worldwide
primaryRitual lighting candles on a hanukkiah
prohibits eulogies and fasting (on most days)
publicRitual public menorah lightings
rabbinicSource Talmud
surface form: Talmud, tractate Shabbat
religion Judaism
scripturalSource Books of the Maccabees
surface form: Books of the Maccabees (historical)
symbolizes Jewish resilience
divine intervention
religious freedom
takesPlaceInHebrewMonth Kislev
traditionalFood latkes
sufganiyot
traditionalFoodType oil-fried foods
traditionalGame dreidel
traditionalGiftGiving Hanukkah gelt
small presents
typicalStartGregorian late November or December

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

shamash associatedWith Festival of Lights
subject surface form: Shamash
Hanukkah hasAlternativeName Festival of Lights
Riverside hasCulturalEvent Festival of Lights
this entity surface form: Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn
Festival of Lights hasNameInEnglish Festival of Lights self-link