Hanukkah is a tiny, minor Jewish holiday The only theological obligation on Hanukkah is lighting the candles on the menorah for each of the holiday’s eight nights — the centerpiece of the holiday.

The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt.

Known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. The event occurred when Jews rose up against Greek-Syrian rulers in the Maccabean Revolt and drove them out of Jerusalem, according to the History Channel.

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday which celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the larger Syrian army. It also celebrates a miracle that happened during this time, where just a day’s supply of oil allowed the menorah (Hanukkiah or Hanukkah Menorah) in the rededicated Temple in Jerusalem to remain lit for eight days.

On the first night of Hanukkah add this blessing: Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, shehecheyanu v-ki’y’manu v-higianu la-z’man ha-zeh. Blessed are you, Our God, Ruler of the Universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.

During each night of Hanukkah, you light one candle for each night plus an additional one called the shamash, the “helper” candle, which is lit first each night and used to light all the others. So on the first night of Hanukkah, the shamash is lit, along with one other candle.

Each night, one additional candle is lit by the shamash until all eight candles are lit together on the final night of the festival. Other Hanukkah festivities include singing Hanukkah songs, playing the game of dreidel and eating oil-based foods, such as latkes and sufganiyot, and dairy foods.

“It’s not historically part of Hanukkah at all.” In that, gift-giving on Hanukkah is not unlike gift-giving on Christmas — it has little, if anything, to do with the religious requirements of the celebration. This makes Hanukkah less important religiously than other holidays like Passover, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.

Ideas include gold gelt coins (traditional chocolate coins in gold foil), a dreidel and handwritten blessings to say as the Hanukkah candles are lit. Top your gift jar with festive blue and silver ribbon.

Eight days and nights of celebrating the festival of lights doesn’t just mean latkes and revelry—it also calls for eight rounds of gifts to celebrate Hanukkah with your loved ones. However, there’s no need to fret.

Traditional foods include potato latkes, applesauce and brisket. Spinning the dreidel (a four-sided top) for “Hanukkah gelt” (gold-wrapped chocolate coins) is another part of the celebration. Your host might appreciate gifts of chocolate, gourmet applesauce, candles, books or board games.

We often give gifts to re-confirm or establish our connection with others, which means that they’re a reflection of both the giver and the receiver, as well as their unique relationship. Giving a gift to someone we care about allows us to communicate our feelings and appreciation for them.

Move forward some in the Bible, and in Malachi 3:10-12, giving is the one thing God tells us to test him in. In the New Testament God himself gave us his only son because he loves us so much, and that Son died on a cross for us. It sets a model that generosity in God’s people should be sacrificial.

Giving something that reflects a shared interest or that demonstrates your knowledge of their passions is good, but it can be hard to keep track of those preferences over time. Consider giving them something meaningful to you that might also be memorable to them, like a memento or an old accessory.