Celebrating Hanukkah on Long Island

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - Hanukkah is the Jewish festival of lights. Different from Christmas, the date changes each year. But what doesn't is the number of nights.

Monica Glaubach's house is Hanukkah ready. And even if you're still not sure how to spell it, Tuesday marks the first night. She says she is proud and happy and this is her favorite time of year.

Gifts are exchanged and dreidel games are played for gelt or chocolate coins. Rabbi Anchelle Perl with Chabad of Mineola says the menorah is one of the most important symbols. He says Jews light the menorah to remind themselves of the miracles of the past and those yet to come.

The holiday's history dates back more than 2,000 years. It's a story about a single-day supply of oil that lasted for eight nights.

Fried fritters are a fan favorite at Ben's Deli -- especially this time of year. To clarify any confusion, there's no difference between a latke and a potato pancake. Why do people eat them during Hanukkah? They're fried in oil, which Rabbi Anchelle Perl says is to remember the miracle of the oil lasting eight days instead of one.