San Francisco residents, visitors feel the holiday cheer at events throughout the city
San Franciscans and those visiting from out of town celebrated Christmas by participating in beautiful religious services across the city.
"The whole point of the holiday is religious freedom. That there's no reason why we have to be sitting in our own homes and only practicing our religion. But, thank God we live in America, we have religious freedom," Rabbi Moshe Langer of Chabad of San Francisco told CBS News Bay Area.
Rabbi Langer and community members kicked off the 49th menorah lighting ceremony at Union Square Wednesday evening. The 22-foot mahogany menorah stands tall, just steps away from the Christmas tree in Union Square, symbolizing co-existence and unity.
The rabbi also adds that there are 15,000 public menorah lightings outside of Israel, and the Bill Graham Menorah in Union Square is even more special.
"In 1975, when this was built and placed here in Union Square for the first time, this was the first (massive) public menorah outside of Israel," Langer said.
And a few miles away at Grace Cathedral, more than a thousand people gathered on Christmas day for the Holy Eucharist.
"Just wanted to feel the mood of Christmas in the United States, and this is one of the best cathedrals, the most beautiful ones in San Francisco. I wanted to hear the chorus and being in the beautiful atmosphere over here," Oksana Shvets, who recently moved to San Francisco from Ukraine, told CBS News Bay Area.
"Yesterday, we had 4 services almost 10,000 people. It was very crowded. Today we have about 1,000 or so. It's a real exciting time, the cathedral is decorated quite beautifully," Bill Quinn, the head usher at Grace Cathedral, said. "We have lots of people who are visiting from out of town. And to see them as they walk into the cathedral, their eyes getting big, it really is a special moment."
And back on Union Square, Langer said the festivities of Chanukah are just getting started, and they will be out there lighting the menorah every night of the holiday celebration.
