Each night, for the next eight, a successive number of candles are lit on the traditional Hanukkah candle holder, the Menorah.
The eight candles signify the miracle during ancient Jewish times of a tiny amount of oil available to provide a source of light; when lit, it was only supposed to last for one evening but instead continued to provide illumination for a whole eight days.
The Menorah has room for 9 candles in total; typical designs designate the middle candle to be used to light the other candles. Tonight, the first candle is lit, tomorrow evening, 2 candles are lit, etc. until the eighth night when all candles are lit.
Young children also benefit from Hanukkah because they receive a different gift each of the eight days! The celebration is a joyous one where families get together, play games (typically ones involving the dreidel, a multi-sided spinning top made of wood or other materials) and enjoy seasonal food (especially the delicious potato pancake, the Latke)
The timing of Hanukkah and Christmas are usually pretty close each year. This year, Hanukkah is early because this holiday, like all Jewish Holidays, is based on the traditional Hebrew calendar which essentially adds an"extra" month to the Jewish year every other year resulting in the changing dates of these holidays each year when tracked on our regular secular calendars!
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