What does Hanukkah mean to you?
When I asked people this question, I got many answers, including: light in the darkness, family, togetherness, renewal, hope, pride, salvation, miracles, Divine Presence, and gratitude.
My personal answer is a little more complex, but ultimately encompasses all of these things.
When I think of Hanukkah, I think of the tension between inside and outside. Classically, the central struggle of Hanukkah involved defending Jewish culture from being overtaken by Hellenistic influences. However, the question of how we ought to relate to outside cultures is not simple. We do not completely reject outside influences, wisdom, or culture. At the same time, we do not accept them wholesale and uncritically.
