How many days are there in Hanukkah?

Hanukkah lasts eight days beginning on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. The celebration typically falls in November or December. One candle is lit each night to commemorate the miracle of the time when a single day's oil lasted for eight during the rededication of the Temple.

Hanukkah, which may also be spelled Chanukah or Chanukkah, is less important religiously than Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover. Two other religiously significant holidays, Sukkot and Shavu'ot, are less well-known outside of the Jewish faith than Hanukkah. The tradition of gift-giving is not religious, but it may be a response to the Christian practice of gift-giving at Christmas.