The reason we say “happy holidays,” of course, and not only “Merry Christmas,” is because this is a time of many celebrations on Capitol Hill. CHS was lucky enough to attend one of our favorites of the season again Tuesday night as community groups gathered at E Pike’s Gay City for the annual Light the Night party.

In addition to the “kosher latkes, drinks, colorful dreidels” and, yup, accordion music, we like the way PAVE, Jconnect Seattle, and Kolenu, Seattle’s Jewish LGBTQ group, celebrate the season with a candle lighting “symbolizing both the miracle of Hanukkah and our affirmation that justice and equality will prevail against oppression.”

Meanwhile, Thursday night brings another celebration from Chabad on Capitol Hill — we wrote about the group’s growth in Central Seattle here — at Cal Anderson Park:

http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/event/chanuka-celebration-and-public-menorah-lighting/