Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday that begins on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar. This holiday commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century BCE, following the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire.

The story of Hanukkah centers around a miracle that occurred during the rededication. When the Jews sought to light the Temple's menorah, or candelabrum, they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had remained uncontaminated by the Greeks. Miraculously, this small amount of oil managed to burn for eight days until new oil could be prepared. This miracle is the foundation of the tradition of lighting the menorah during Hanukkah.

Each evening, families gather to light the menorah, recite blessings, and sing traditional songs. The menorah holds nine candles—one for each of the eight nights, and a "shamash" or "helper" candle used to light the others. The lighting of the menorah is typically accompanied by playing dreidel, a spinning top game, and enjoying foods fried in oil like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyah (jelly-filled donuts), symbolizing the miracle of the oil.

Hanukkah also serves as a time for reflection and celebration of Jewish identity, resilience, and freedom. It is an opportunity for families to gather, share stories, and engage in acts of charity, echoing the spirit of gratitude and hope embodied by the holiday.

From all of us here Rising Star Insurance Group, we wish you and yours a very happy Hanukkah and a wonderful New Year!