United States President Joe Biden released a statement Sunday night wishing the Jewish people a happy Hanukkah, commemorating the first night of the holiday.
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire.
In a tweet released shortly after the Hanukkah festival began in Israel — and several hours before the holiday begins in the U.S. — Biden said Hanukkah recounts an “undeniably American” story.
“At its core, Hanukkah recounts a story at the heart of the human spirit — one that is inherently Jewish and undeniably American,” the president announced in a White House press statement.
Biden compared the holiday to Thanksgiving in that it focuses on giving thanks for the miracles in one’s life, like the miracle of Hanukkah, where oil which was expected to light the Temple for only one day lasted eight.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is himself Jewish, also sent holiday greetings from his family, through his Twitter account.
“Happy Hanukkah! May this festival bring hope to build back a brighter future - and may we all remember that ‘a little bit of light pushes away a lot of darkness.’ Chag Sameach, from my family to yours,” the official tweeted.