Hanukkah is above all a religious war.
There have been others since then. but this one was the first.
Everything revolves around light and darkness.
The little cruse of holy oil that was used to rekindle the lamp stand of the Temple was
hidden and hard to find.
The challenge our ancestors faced was to reveal the light.
We relive this need and this lesson every year on Hanukkah, by lighting an additional light each evening for the eight days of the holiday.
–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
From The Seven Lights by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz