Downtown Atlanta lights the menorah in celebration of the first day of Hanukkah

ATLANTA — Atlanta is celebrating the first day of Hanukkah.

Georgia’s Own Credit Union lit the menorah on its 450-foot-high sign on their downtown Atlanta building early Monday, marking the beginning of Hanukkah.

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The holiday is usually between mid-November and the end of December. It varies from year to year.

Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC. It was after a group of Jewish fighters liberated the temple. When they did, they found a small oil supply and used it to light a menorah. The oil kept burning in the menorah for eight days, so the holiday lasts eight days.

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Hanukkah is celebrated every night by lighting a candle from right to left on a menorah. The lighting of the candle is done while chanting special blessings.

The menorah is built with eight branches – one for each night of Hanukkah. There is a place for a ninth candle, called the shamash, which is used to light the other candles.

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