The holiday lasts eight days because according to tradition, when the Jews rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem, a single vial of oil, enough for one day, burned miraculously for eight.

The miracle lies in the discovery of a solitary vial of oil, sufficient for one day, which remarkably illuminated the Temple for eight days. When will Hanukkah be celebrated in 2024?

It also commemorates the miracle God performed when a vial of oil—needed to rededicate the Holy Temple in Jerusalem—lasted for eight nights instead of one.