Explaining Chanukah to Atheists

Is Chanukah really the "Jewish Christmas"? Why do we light candles and eat oily food? If a man converts to Judaism, it's going to hurt in the end, right? These, and other questions, were addressed during my presentation about Chanukah to the Society of Edmonton Atheists on December 5. (Spoiler: the answer to the last question is "most likely, yes.").