Today marks the third night of "the festival of lights"..and local families are celebrating.

Since sundown on Tuesday Jewish families have been lighting a candle each night in celebration of Hanukkah.

Samantha Propps says that her family gives each other a small gift for the 8-days of Hanukkah.

Propps says there is a historical reason why she lights the Menorah each year.

"They needed to re-dedicate it, purify it, and the way you do that is you light oil. But they found they only had enough oil for one day, but it would take at least eight days for them to get more oil, but by some miracle the oil stay lit for eight days, and that's why you light candles for eight days and why its the miracle of the oil and why you eat food fried in oil," says Samantha Propps.

Hanukkah will last until sundown on December 28Th.