How long does Hanukkah last?

Hanukkah lasts for seven days and eight nights. Often called the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah is celebrated worldwide in remembrance of the re-dedication of Jerusalem's Second Temple and the one day's worth of oil that is believed to have burned for one week.

The Hanukkah celebration begins each evening with the lighting of the menorah whose individual candles represent the eight nights of the Miracle of the Oil. Over the week long period the celebrants take part in many holiday traditions, such as the frying of foods in oil and the giving of gifts and Hanukkah gelt, or money, to children.