Rabbis install a giant Hanukkah Menorah at the launch of the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights, named Hanukkah, in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Dec. 11, 2009.
Sad Goodbye
Sgt. 1st Class Terry Austin of Swanton, Vt., shares a quiet moment with his wife, Diane, before a deployment ceremony in Burlington, Vt., Friday, Dec. 11, 2009. Members of the 1st of the 172nd cavalry squadron are headed to Camp Atterbury, Ind., part of a 1,500-strong contingent of Vermont National Guard members headed to Afghanistan.
Lightning Strikes
Lightning strikes the Hillbrow Telkom Tower in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Dec. 11, 2009.
Christmas Cheer
The statue of George Washington in front to Federal Hall is juxtaposed with the 86th annual New York Stock Exchange Christmas tree that was illuminated during ceremonies Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009.
High Dive
Bryan Nickson Lomas of Malaysia competes in the men's 10-meter platform diving finals at the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos, Friday, Dec. 11, 2009.
Chilly Weather
A woman walking along Kennebunk Beach at dawn braves the biting cold Friday, Dec. 11, 2009, in Kennebunk, Maine. An arctic air mass has arrived, bringing cold and windy weather to northern New England.