WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) Thursday night is the fifth night of Hanukkah and Eyewitness News reporter Kevin Hayes has more about the origins and evolution of the Festival of Lights.

As the sun set over northeast and central Pennsylvania, thousands of families came together lighting candles to celebrate a tradition over 1,000 years old. But what exactly are they celebrating?

It is both a celebration of the military victory of the Maccabees who led the Jewish rebellion against the Hellenized Assyrians. They were from the north, Rabbi David Kaplan of Ohav Zedek of Wilkes-Barre, said.

They cleaned out the temple from all the Greek gods, the pantheon of gods that were placed there. They needed to rededicate it and thats where the word Hanukkah comes from. The idea of rededication of that temple, Rabbi Larry Kaplan, Temple Israel in Wilkes-Barre said.

Rabbi David of Ohav Zedek says the origin continues in a second part.

At the same time, when they came back to the ruined temple in Jerusalem, there is the second miracle, the oil, Rabbi David said.

Oil that was only expected to burn for one night as the Jews waited for replenishment lasted eight nights and is remembered this time each year. That leads to the version we know today after more than a millennia of it being a more somber celebration.

About 60 or 70 years ago, Jewish kids were coming home from school, saw that their friends were all getting Christmas presents. They werent getting anything and so Jewish parents decided to sort of give Christmas presents to their Jewish kids wrapped in Hanukkah paper, Rabbi Larry said.

But the core values of Hanukkah remain today with roots in intimate observances, traditions, and the fire in eight candles.

We try to illuminate, and again, its just that little bit of light that can bring solace to us and to humanity itself, Rabbi David said.

So whether youre celebrating the Festival of Lights or just trying to bring light to the world, Happy Hanukkah.

The eight-day holiday runs through Sunday night.

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