By Associated Press
Holiday lights are brightening the evening sky around the globe, but they're not all hanging from Christmas trees.
At Columbia University in Upper Manhattan, a 15-foot menorah made from food cans will be lit each night of Hanukkah, which starts this year on Dec. 7. In Krasnoyarsk, Russia, the menorah at the center of a public Hanukkah celebration is actually a giant ice sculpture. In Miami Beach, the menorah is made of seashells, and in New Haven, Conn., it's made from Legos.
In Bangkok, participants in a Hanukkah celebration will ride elephants, and in San Antonio, Texas, they'll be on a boat. In Morumbi, Brazil, they'll be at a soccer stadium, and in Upland (San Bernardino County), look for a parade of Hummers, each outfitted with a menorah on top.
These are just a few of the unusual Hanukkah celebrations taking place this year, sponsored by outposts of ultra-Orthodox Lubavitcher Jews around the world but open to all, Jews of every level of observance as well as non-Jews. Other events include a Hanukkah celebration in Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C., where a menorah has been lit every year for 25 years, as well as a menorah lighting at the Eiffel Tower.
At Universal Studios Hollywood, a Hanukkah celebration in the CityWalk section of the park is expected to draw 20,000 people. A menorah made from balloons will be on display in Atlanta, and another made from chocolate is the centerpiece of a celebration in Mount Olympus (West Hollywood).
All lightings will take for eight nights, beginning at sundown Dec. 7. Check exact times and locations for these and dozens of other Hanukkah events around the world, from small towns and college campuses to big cities and remote locales, at www.chabad.org/events
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