If your family lit that first candle last night, I hope it brings a little warmth and peace into your home. I’ve always loved how Hanukkah starts small with one light that’s quiet and intentional, but the most important of ‘em all.

This season in Chattanooga is full of moments like that. Folks are celebratin’ all kinds of holidays right now: Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, good ole Christmas, and even some traditions that don’t come with decorations at all. Different ways of markin’ the same long nights, together.

So this week, we’re slowin’ down and lookin’ around at all the lights our neighbors are sharin’ in the neighborhood. Every candle counts here.

This week’s Front Porch Partner is EverQuote. They ain’t local-local, but it does help keep this little digital printing press hummin’ along and dreamin’ up even cozier things for Chattynooga and our growin’ community.

Here’s the real sweet part: every single click on the ad below sends $2.25 straight into the Chattynooga piggy bank, even if you don’t sign up for a thing. No forms, no fuss, just a quick tap that helps keep the porch lights on and the stories comin’.

EverQuote, take it away!

While winter brings lots of good cheer, it can also mean new risks: icy roads, unexpected storms, and increased holiday travel. That makes now the perfect time to ensure that you and your family are fully protected. Your home, your vehicles, and your peace of mind all deserve coverage that fits your current life—not outdated premiums from years past.

EverQuote lets you compare personalized quotes for bundled home and auto policies, multi-car coverage, and more—all in one simple dashboard. Whether you're prepping for long drives to see family or keeping your home secure through the colder months, our tools help ensure your protection stays strong and your money works smarter.

See your savings today!

Got somethin’ cookin’ that the Scenic City oughta know about? Wanna talk about how cool your weekend was? Tell us all about it! Just reply to this message, or send a separate one to [email protected]!

As reported by our friends over at the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the first night of Hanukkah was marked this past Sunday with a community menorah lighting at the Jewish Cultural Center here in Chattanooga.

Their coverage shows neighbors of all ages gatherin’ close as the first candle was lit, officially kickin’ off the eight-night observance. Kids leaned in with wide eyes, adults helped guide the ritual, and tables filled up with conversation, food, and familiar faces, the kind of togetherness that feels especially meaningful this time of year.

The photos captured by the Times Free Press tell the story best. Steady hands lighting candles, families sharing the moment, and a room full of people showin’ up for one another. It’s a reminder that so many of the season’s traditions, no matter how different they may look, are rooted in the same simple things: memory, community, and light carried forward.

We’re mighty grateful for local journalism that takes the time to document moments like this, and for a city where so many traditions are honored out in the open, with care and intention!

What are some other winter holidays that you or your family celebrate together this year? Drop a reply mainly because we’re curious and love learnin’ how to spend the holidays differently.

I’ll be the first to admit it, neighbor: I love Christmas.

I love the music, the lights strung up a little crooked, the smell of somethin’ sweet bakin’ at all times when it’s already dark outside.

I love how folks in Chattanooga will go all out with twinkle lights, yard inflatables that look like they might take flight with one strong wind, and front windows glowin’ like little beacons sayin’, “Come on in neighbor, I just started a kettle of tea.”

However, as the years have gone by, I’ve found myself wonderin’ more and more about all the other lights showin’ up around town this season. They don’t quite look like Christmas decor, but they sure do give off the same lovin’ energy.

Some lights don’t blink or play music on the radio, but rather start small and grow night by night. Meemaw says that they mark history, resilience, reflection, and togetherness in ways I didn’t grow up with, but have come to appreciate by watchin’ my neighbors carry them with care.

Across Chattanooga right now, folks are lightin’ candles, gatherin’ family, tellin’ old stories, honorin’ ancestors, and welcomin’ winter in ways that don’t all look like mine, and that’s somethin’ I’ve come to see as real special. There’s ddifferent traditions, sure, but the same human need to push back the dark a little and remind ourselves we ain’t alone in this frigid Winter season comin’.

And y’know, I reckon that’s what ties all these winter holidays together. Whether it’s a porch strung with lights, a menorah on the table, a fire lit on the longest night, or a quiet moment shared with people you love, it’s all a way of sayin’, “We’re here together. We made it this far.”

So this season, I’m still enjoyin’ my Christmas lights just the same. But I’m also keepin’ my eyes open to noticin’ the other ways my neighbors shine and get together. I might ask some querious questions like, “Huh, I ain’t ever heard of Diwali before. What y’all do for that?” And learnin’ when I can, while respectin’ when I don’t fully understand yet.

The more I look around, the more it feels like this city is glowin’ from a whole lot of different places at once.

I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but, uhh… it’s kinda gotten cold lately. Like, frozen arctic tundra right here in Tennessee cold. And even though I spend my days bundled up like a Christmas present, the cold lingers and follows me home at night. So, I’ve been rising to the chilly occasion. We don’t have a fireplace, but that hasn’t stopped me from making the house cozy and warm when I get home. That’s right, I learned about the best kept secret on the internet - themed digital fireplaces.

I’m being so serious when I tell you that these little Youtube yuletide screens have changed the game for Christmas forever. Not only can you play the normal kind with a fire in the fireplace and crackling noises to boot, but they’ve got some really fun ones out there. Bluey’s Christmas Fireplace, A Pixar Fireplace, The Grinch’s Cozy Christmas Fireplace… They’ve even got the North Pole live this year! Seriously, you can watch Santa and Mrs. Clause and the elves getting ready for the biggest day of the year right from the comfort of your own living room. Incredible.

The cold isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but I sure am glad I found the coziest fireplaces on the internet to keep warm this winter! Does your favorite character have an online holiday hearth? Send it our way!

So I suppose that’s our little winter check-in for the week, neighbor.

As the nights stretch long and the air settles in, we hope you find a bit of comfort in whatever traditions are lighting up your home right now. Whether that’s candles on the table, lights in the window, a fire on the screen, or just the familiar glow of folks you love nearby, we’re glad you brought it with you to the porch.

This season holds a whole lotta stories, and they don’t all look the same. But they all carry the same hope: warmth, remembrance, and the quiet promise that we’re not walkin’ through winter alone.

However you’re celebratin’, however you’re resting, know there’s a seat here for you. We’ll keep the lights on.

— Bubby & Clementine