‘And it was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter.'
The feast of dedication was a winter festival and celebrated the rededication of the Temple in 165/4 BC by Judas Maccabaeus, after it had been desecrated by Antiochus Ephiphanes. The Jews saw it as an amazing act of God, carried out on their behalf, and such a time would be a time of great expectation as they hoped that He would again act on their behalf in bringing them political freedom. It would turn thoughts towards the coming of the Messiah.
‘It was winter.' This comment is probably intended to be seen as significant (compare John 13:30). The summer days had passed and the chill of winter was on Jesus' ministry. The mention of the Feast of Dedication may be intended to hint that there was about to be a new purifying of the Temple by its destruction and replacement with the new Temple of God, Jesus and His people.