New York’s holiday season glows a little brighter this December as the city celebrates Hanukkah with the lighting of the world’s largest menorahs — towering beacons of light standing at Grand Army Plaza in both Manhattan and Brooklyn.
For all eight nights of the Festival of Lights, crowds gather at dusk for joyful candle-lighting ceremonies that are completely free and open to everyone. The giant menorahs, among the largest on the planet, cast a warm golden glow over two of the city’s most beloved public squares, turning each evening into a small celebration of community, tradition and hope.
In Manhattan, the famous menorah rises at Grand Army Plaza on Fifth Avenue at 59th Street, right by the southeast corner of Central Park. Across the East River, Brooklyn’s own giant menorah lights up Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Heights, near the entrance of Prospect Park. Both locations come alive each night with families, music and the magic of the season.
The lightings are a beautiful reminder of what makes New York special: people of every background sharing public space and celebrating together. Bring the family, snap a photo, and enjoy one of the city’s most heartwarming winter traditions.
Photo: Chabad Lubavitch, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
