LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Hanukkah: Lighting
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The reason for the Hanukkah lights is not for the "lighting of the house within", but rather for the "illumination of the house without," so that passers-by should see it and be reminded of the holiday's miracle. Accordingly lamps are set up at a prominent window or near the door leading to the street. It is customary amongst some Ashkenazim to have a separate menorah for each family member (customs vary), whereas most Sephardim light one for the whole household. Only when there was danger of anti-semitic persecution were lamps supposed to be hidden from public view, as was the case in Persia under the rule of the Zoroastrians, or in parts of Europe before and during World War II. However, most Hasidic groups, light lamps near an inside doorway, not necessarily in public view. According to this tradition, the lamps are placed on the opposite side from the mezuzah, so that when one passes through the door he is surrounded by the holiness of mitzvoth.
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Hanukkah (rededication) has only five letters in the original Hebrew. In English there are at least 16 ways to spell it, including: Channuka, Channukah, Chanuka, Chanukah, Chanuko, Hannuka, Hannukah, Hanuka, Hanukah, Hanukkah, Kanukkah, Khannuka, Khannukah, Khanuka, Khanukah, Khanukkah, and Xanuka.
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The dates of Hanukkah are determined by the Hebrew calendar. Hanukkah begins at the 25th day of Kislev and concluding on the 2nd or 3rd day of Tevet (Kislev can have 29 or 30 days). The Jewish day begins at sunset, whereas the Gregorian calendar begins the day at midnight. So, the first day of Hanukkah actually begins at sunset of the day immediately before the date noted on Gregorian calendars.
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An unusual confluence of the calendar this year, with Hanukkah beginning on December 25th... is expected to enhance awareness of Chrismukkah. Gompertz believes all these factors combine to create "perfect storm" conditions for Chrismukkah observance. He gleefully calls the Chrismukkah 2005 season the "Mother of all Chrismukkahs."
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When one enters one's home the Mezuzah is on the right, the Hanukkah is lit on the left, and the man who enters has Sisiyoth (fringes) on his Tallith Qatan. The Acronym for Sisith, Mezuzah and Hanukkah is Semah, who is the Mashiyah.
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The story of Hanukkah is alluded in the books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees. But Hannukah is not specially mentioned, rather, a story similar in character, and obviously older in date, is the one alluded to in 2 Maccabees 1:18 et seq., according to which the relighting of the altar-fire by Nehemiah was due to a miracle which occurred on the twenty-fifth of Kislev, and which appears to be given as the reason for the selection of the same date for the rededication of the altar by Judah Maccabeus.
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