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It is interesting to explore information on the origin of Chanukah festival. Well, this festivity is celebrated for two fold reasons. The first is to celebrate the victory of minority community of Jews over the powerful Syrians in 165 B.C. Antiochus, the Greek King of Syria, prohibited the Jews from practicing their rituals. He ordered them to worship Greek gods. It was in 168 B.C that the holy temple of Jews was captured and dedicated to the worship of Zeus. This action of Antiochus made the Jews feel really angry and some of them decided to raise their voice.
Read on to know more about Hanukkah history:
The battle between the Syrians and Jews took place in Modiin, a village nearby to Jerusalem. It was Maccabee, who along with his four brothers organized a group of fighters called the Maccabees. They used guerilla warfare and were capable of driving away the powerful Greek-Syrian army out of their area. After the victory, the Jews rededicated their holy temple. They did so by lighting the menorah with the oil that was just enough for one day but miraculously it burnt for eight consecutive days, until more pure oil could be brought.
