Opening the Festival of Lights - Brattleboro Reformer

By Aaron Lipsky, Reformer correspondent

BRATTLEBORO — On Sunday, the first night of Hanukkah, Rabbi Avremy Raskin of the Chabad of Southern Vermont's Jewish Center in Brattleboro led the lighting of the first candle of the public menorah at the park in front of the West Brattleboro fire station. Brattleboro Town Manager Peter Elwell brought the good wishes of the Town to the gathering of people from Southern Vermont and New Hampshire.

Hanukkah runs for eight days. Each night an additional candle is lit until eight candles are lit on the last evening of the holiday.

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish celebration marking the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt in ancient times. When the Jews regained the Temple, which had been destroyed, there was only enough oil left for one day's use, but miraculously it lasted for eight days.