Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday celebrating religious freedom and a miracle that happened over 2,000 years ago. When a small group of Jewish fighters called the Maccabees reclaimed their temple in Jerusalem from rulers who had tried to stop them from practicing their religion, they found only enough sacred oil to keep the temple's menorah (a special lamp) burning for one day. Miraculously, that tiny amount of oil kept the flame going for eight full days.

Today, Jewish families celebrate Hanukkah by lighting one additional candle on a special nine-branched menorah called a hanukiah each night until all eight are glowing. They often gather to play games with a spinning top called a dreidel, eat foods fried in oil like potato pancakes (latkes) and jelly doughnuts, exchange gifts, and sing traditional songs. The holiday usually falls in December, though the exact dates change each year because the Jewish calendar follows the cycles of the moon rather than the solar calendar most Americans use.

The holiday's central message celebrates standing up for your beliefs and the idea that small amounts of something precious, like that oil or like courage itself, can last far longer than anyone expects.