He terminated worship in the Temple and stole the sacred lamp, the menorah, from before the altar. At the time of the solstice, they rededicated the Temple to a Pagan deity. Judah the Maccabee lead a band of rebels, and succeeding in retaking Jerusalem. They restored the temple and lit the menorah. Although they had found only sufficient consecrated oil to last for 24 hours, the flames burned steadily for eight days.
People eat potato latkes, exchange gifts, and play dreidel games.
And as they gaze at the light of the menorah, they give thanks for the miracle in the Temple long ago. 5 Modern-day Jews celebrate Hanukkah by lighting one candle for each of the eight days of the festival. Once a minor festival, it has been growing in importance in recent years, perhaps because of the pressure of Christmas. The Pueblo tribe observe both the summer and winter solstices. There are countless stone structures created by Natives in the past to detect the solstices and equinoxes.