US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the situation in Afghanistan, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, US, August 24, 2021. REUTERS/Leah Millis

i24 News — United States President Joe Biden released a statement wishing a happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate on Sunday, commemorating the first night of the Jewish holiday.

Hanukkah, also known as the “Festival of Lights,” honors the rededication of Jewish worship at the Second Temple following its desecration.

“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.

“It teaches us that even a little bit of light, wherever it is found, can dispel the darkness and illuminate a path forward,” he continued.

“And it reminds us that whether it is the Holy Temple in Jerusalem or the temple of our democracy, nothing broken or profaned is beyond repair.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also sent holiday greetings, 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,'” Blinken tweeted, quoting Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. “Chag Sameach, from my family to yours.”