Antiochus was one of these kings. Like other kings, Antiochus forbade Jews from studying the Torah and forced his subjects to worship Greek gods. The brutal king even defiled the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and even went as far as to erect an altar dedicated to the Greek god Zeus.

Antiochus’s sacrilegious actions stirred up the Jewish people. Led by the Maccabees rebel army, the Jewish people successfully rebelled and ousted the pagan followers. The Holy Temple was liberated and rededicated. During the rededication ceremony  a new holy altar was erected and a new candle-holding Menorah was constructed. The Menorah was lit using a small amount of olive oil and miraculously burned for eight days.  The eight day miracle is commemorated with the lighting of a Menorah for the eight days of Chanukah.

Traditional Chanukah foods are symbolically cooked in oil or contain dairy products. Fried foods represent the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. Dairy foods are representative of the victory of the Jewish heroine Judith, who defended her besieged village by intoxicating a Syrian troop leader with cheese and wine.

Latkes are a popular and tasty Chanukah treat. Cooked in oil, the potato pancakes are easy to make and contain eggs, flour, and onions. They are often served with sour cream.

Another oil inspired treat are Sufganiyot, or Jelly filled doughnuts. Made especially for Chanukah, these oil fried sweets can be covered in powdered sugar or cinnamon and lack the traditional doughnut hole.

To try your hand at making some traditional Chanukah foods and  learn more about the miracle holiday by visiting Chanukah on the Net.