Why Do We Give Presents On Hanukkah? 'Nate Gadol' Has The Story

Hanukkah is not some kind of Jewish Christmas. The holiday, which began this week, commemorates the rededication of the second temple of Jerusalem, where Jews, reclaiming the temple after a revolt, found a one-day supply of oil to light its menorah — and it lasted for eight nights. Hanukkah is called the Festival of Lights, which in North America seems to fold it smack into the lights of the Christmas season.