The Beit Yosef famously asked that since there Maccabees found enough oil to last for one day, then the fact that the oil lasted for 8 days isn't a miracle -- only 7 of the days are a miracle. Why then do we celebrate Chanukah for 8 days?

At our shul Chankah party tonight, there was a lot of excitement as we asked the kids to answer this question and they presented a lot of nice answers. One of these answers was that the 8th day is for berit milah.

My problem with this answer is that there are three mitzvot that the Greeks forbid the Jews from performing: berit milah, shabbat, and kiddush hachodesh. It seems odd that this answer singles out only one of these three mitzvot.

It appears to me however, that Chanukah's scheduling does hint to each of these mitzvot. Chanukah lasts 8 days long (as a reference to berit milah), it includes Rosh Chodesh Tevet (kiddush hachodesh), and it includes a Shabbat.