Chanukah Traditions

Chanukah is celebrated for eight days and nights, starting on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar (November-December on the Gregorian calendar). Chanukah begins at sundown on December 25 this year and ends at sundown on January 1, 2006.

In Hebrew, the word Chanukah means "dedication".

On each night of Chanukah, the menorah is lit to commemorate the miracle that occurred after the Jews proclaimed victory over the Syrian armies in 165 B.C.E. When Jews came to rededicate the Temple that had been ruined, they found only one small flask of oil with which to light the menorah. This flask contained only enough oil for one day, but the lamp burned for eight days.

On the first night of Chanukah, one light is lit. On each successive night a light is added until the eighth night, when all the lights are lit. The addition of each light recalls the miracle. Candles are placed in the menorah from right to left, but lit from left to right. The highest candle that is placed in the center of the menorah, known as the Shamash or "servant", is used to light the other candles and remains lit every night of Chanukah. Blessings are recited each night before the lights are kindled.

The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter inscribed on each side. In America the letters stand for "A Great Miracle Happened There". In Israel the letters mean "A Miracle Happened Here".

Each player receives a given number of coins or candy pieces. Before spinning the dreidel, each player puts a fixed amount into the kupah or kitty. Each player in turn spins the dreidel. When the dreidel falls, it will fall on one of the 4 letters.

According to the letter, the following will happen:
Nun means you neither win nor lose.
Gimel means you take the whole pot.
Heh means you take half the pot.
Shin means you must put a coin in the pot.

Latkes are potato pancakes made from grated potatoes mixed with eggs, onions, and flour, then fried in vegetable oil. They're served hot and often dipped in applesauce or sour cream.
The Maccabbee soliders ate latkes made from cheese, vegetables, or fruits that were brought to them on the battlefields. However, they didn't eat potato latkes, as potatoes weren't available until the 16th century.

Sufganiyot are jelly doughnuts without the hole. They're dropped into hot oil without being shaped and come out in odd, funny shapes, then covered in powdered sugar and/or cinnamon. Sufganiyot are popular in Israel, where they are sold by street vendors over a month before Chanukah begins.


I found lots of great information about Chanukah at HistoryChannel.com.
Here is a fun interactive Chanukah site, and Chabad.org has loads of information about Chanukah.