The weather is cold; there's a dusting of frost starting to form on the leaves and the ground, the apartments and houses and cottages. Then, in one window a candle flickers, and a family lights the first candle of Chanukah. Over the course of the book - over the course of eight nights, as we count down the days - readers are introduced to different Jewish families as they each light a candle. We visit living rooms and kitchens, and listen to conversations as the cherished rituals and traditions of the Festival of Lights take place.