Hanukkah celebrated with National Menorah lighting on White House Ellipse

WASHINGTON - With the first night of Hanukkah Tuesday night, the National Menorah is being lit on the White House Ellipse.

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that happens in the wintertime every year. It celebrates the victory of a small Jewish army called the Maccabees, and the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight nights (instead of only one or two) in the menorah in the Holy Temple.

The National Menorah is one of the largest in the world and is attended by thousands of people every year.

Hosted by the American Friends of Chabad Lubavitch, the night features musical performances from Dreidelman and the Macabees, as well as and the United States Air Force Band. There are free dreidels (spinning tops) and menorah kits, as well as latkes (fried potato pancakes) and jelly donuts.

Hanukkah 2017 lasts from sundown Tuesday through sundown December 20.