Georgian leaders congratulate Jews on Hanukkah

Jewish people in Georgia and across the world are celebrating Hanukkah, an eight-day festival of lights.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and President Giorgi Margvelashvili congratulated Jews on the holiday.

• See how Jews of Georgia celebrate Hanukkah in Tbilisi

Lighting the special candle at the Synagogue in Tbilisi today, Kvirikashvili said he wished peace in every family in Georgia and Israel.

He said sharing the common history and common struggles, the Georgian and Jewish people still have the common challenges nowadays.

Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili lights a candle as Georgia's Jews celebrate Hanukkah. Photo by the PM's press office.

Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili also congratulated Jews on the holiday. Wishing everyone welfare, peace and happiness, Margvelashili said the friendship between Georgia and Israel is exemplary.

Georgian Jews are one of the oldest communities in Georgia. Their migration into the country dated back to the Babylonian era in the 6th Century BC.

Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish festival of lights, symbolizing the victory of good over evil and the importance of spirit, freedom and justice.

Jewish people light one candle on the first day of the celebration and the number of candles increases by one each day so that there are nine candles (including Shamash, a helper candle) glittering in the candelabra (menorah) on the final day of Hanukkah.