This is when Hanukkah is in 2023, and the story behind the Jewish holiday

Hanukkah is nearly upon us.

The Jewish holiday runs for a little over a week and usually falls in late November or mid-December. This is what you should know.

When is Hanukkah 2023?

Hanukkah begins at nightfall on Thursday, Dec. 7, and ends at nightfall on Friday, Dec. 15.

Why do the dates for Hanukkah change every year?

The dates of Hanukkah vary each year because it is based on the Hebrew calendar. Jewish time reckoning is lunisolar, which means that the calendar keeps in sync with the natural cycles of both the sun and the moon, according to timeanddate.com. 

Hanukkah, which is also called the Festival of Lights, starts on the 25th day of Kislev, which is the ninth month of the Jewish calendar. It lasts for eight days and eight nights.

Is it Hanukkah or Chanukah?Why the Jewish holiday has multiple spellings

Why is Hanukkah celebrated?

Hanukkah means "dedication" in Hebrew. It commemorates the Maccabean victories over the forces of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the rededication of the Temple on Kislev, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica:

"The Maccabees were the first Jews who fought to defend their religious beliefs rather than their lives," the Encyclopedia Britannica noted.

After that victory, it was proclaimed that the temple's rededication should be celebrated every year beginning on that anniversary date.

Along with the menorah lighting, Hanukkah is celebrated with festive meals, games, songs and gifts to children. Popular foods include potato pancakes (latkes), doughnuts (sufganiyot) and other treats fried in oil.

Are Hanukkah and Chanukah the same thing?

Yes. Hanukkah is the most widely used spelling, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, though Chanukah is more traditional.