First Full Day of Hanukkah Today

This year, Hanukkah began Tuesday evening and ends Wednesday evening, Dec. 28.

The eight-day holiday “celebrates the weak resisting the strong,” said Cantor Jason Rosenman of Israel Temple in Akron.

Similar to Christmas, Hanukkah is celebrated with gifts, but on each night rather than just one night.

Fried foods such as donuts and potato pancakes are eaten to celebrate the oil from the ancient Jewish story. As the story goes, a small bit of oil is left at the ruined Jerusalem temple, yet it manages to burn for a miraculous eight days, Rosenman said.

They had lit the oil to rededicate the temple to God after the fight to uphold their beliefs. Today, a menorah or hanukkiah is lit, a candle a day, to represent the days the oil burned. The Temple's menorah had seven candles. Today's hanukkiah has nine—eight to represent each day of Hanukkah and one, the shamash, to light the others.

Temple Israel will honor the holiday with prayer, a dinner for synagogue members and song.

How do you celebrate Hanukkah? Tell us in the comments after taking the poll.