A Holiday Waiting to Happen
The Gemara in Avoda Zara tells us that for the first few months of Adam HaRishon's life, he noticed that the day was getting shorter and shorter and the night, longer and longer. He feared that this meant that the World was returning to TOHU VAVOHU and Darkness, and that he was the cause of it. G-d had said that if he ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he would die. And he thought that this is what G-d had meant. (Remember that he had no experience yet with the cycles of nature, nor with death.) He accepted upon himself eight days of fasting and prayer. Then he noticed that the days were getting longer and realized that this was the way of the world, not Divine punishment and the destruction of the world. He celebrated an eight day festival. His celebration was "for the sake of heaven", but future generations perverted this mid-winter festival to the worship of idolatry.

Fast-forward almost 2500 years. Bnei Yisrael are commanded to build the Mikdash (Mishkan). They gather materials, make furnishings, weave fabric, and more. Tradition tells us that the Mishkan was ready to be put into operation on the 25th of Kislev. Dedication was held for Rosh Chodesh Nisan, the birthdate of Yitzchak Avinu, whose being brought to the Akeida makes him the symbol of Mikdash service.

Each of the Tribes participated in the dedication of the Mishkan (CHANUKAT HAMIZBEI'ACH), except Levi.

About 1100 years later - 3600 years after Adam's first festival - the Chashmona'im, Kohanim (from Shevet Levi), rededicated the Mikdash on the 25th of Kislev and an 8-day mid-winter holiday was declared. The light of the Menora dispelled not only the darkness of the winter nights, but that of Malchut Yavan (Greek empire and culture), which is identified with the primordial Choshech (darkness). Chanuka was a holiday waiting to happen. Enjoy.