The story
National Menorah Lighting in Washington
The National Menorah Lighting is an annual Hanukkah ceremony held near the White House Ellipse, organized by American Friends of Lubavitch, featuring a large public menorah lit progressively across the eight nights of Chanukah. Billed as the world's premier Chanukah celebration, the ceremony draws thousands of attendees and features performances by Military District of Washington bands alongside senior government officials and international dignitaries.
Public menorah lightings became a global Chabad-Lubavitch tradition starting in the late 1970s, as the movement encouraged Jewish communities to mark Chanukah visibly in public spaces rather than only within homes and synagogues.