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

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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