Hanukkah is a Jewish Festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. It is also known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days. The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, called a menorah. Each night, one additional candle is lit until all eight candles are lit together on the final night of the festival.