Hanukkah is one of the most famous holidays in the Jewish calendar, but here are facts about the Festival of Lights that you may not have known.

When does Hanukkah start this year? And what's the correct way to light a menorah? Here are answers to some of the key questions people usually ask about Hanukkah.

“It’s just happenstance that the first night of Hanukkah falls on Christmas day,” Schaktman explained. “And it’s interesting, the first night of Hanukkah is the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. And Christmas is the 25th day of December.”

On eight consecutive nightfalls, Jews gather with family and friends to light one additional candle in the menorah — a multi-branched candelabra.

The festival of Hanukkah was established as a reminder that we celebrate and thank God even when we know fleeting moments of happiness will pass — because the blessings also endure, and we cannot live without them.