Hanukkah begins at sunset on Tuesday, December 20, 2011, and ends at sunset on Wednesday, December 28, 2011. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. In Hebrew "Hanukkah" means "dedication". The name reminds us that this holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C. .Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated every year starting on the 25th day of the month Kislev in the Jewish calendar, usually some time in November or December. Hanukkah has accompanying food traditions. Fried foods like "sufganiyot" (jelly-filled doughnuts) and "latkes"(potato pancakes) are especially popular, as are dairy foods for Hanukkah.