Over the years, several Hanukka customs have become widely accepted in many Jewish communities. The following are some examples:

It is customary to eat certain foods on Hanukka. Dairy foods are eaten because, according to tradition, Judith served milk to the Greek general to make him drowsy before she killed him. It is also customary to eat foods fried in oil, such as potato pancakes (latkes) and jelly doughnuts. This is done to commemorate the miracle of the oil.

It is customary to give children money, called Hanukka gelt, on Hanukka. The source of this custom is apparently rooted in the practice of parents sending money with their children for their teachers during Hanukka. Over time, children asked to be given some money for themselves as well. Whatever its source, this custom has gained wide acceptance because it makes the children happy and thus makes Hanukka more exciting and memorable. It is also worthwhile to take advantage of this custom to educate children in the giving of charity by teaching them to give some of the money they have received to charity.

During the holiday, it is customary to play games, especially with a spinning top called a dreidel, or sevivon in Hebrew. Many explanations have been given for this custom. One of the most commonly cited ideas is that when Jewish children wanted to study Torah during the time that the ruling authorities decreed that it was forbidden, they would have dreidels in their possession, and when the Greeks came to see what they were doing, they would act as though they were merely playing games with the dreidels.

Further reading: For the hidden significance of the letters on the dreidel, see A Concise Guide to Mahshava, p. 406.