It’s already bad enough for the Old John Hancock Building—standing a measly 490 feet tall, it stacks up as only the 18th tallest building in Boston. Meanwhile, right next door, the Prudential Building pompously thrusts 749 feet skyward (907 with the spire!)

The weather-coded beacon atop the Hancock Building had long served as that edifice’s minor consolation; what it lacked in substance, it made up for with style. Yet now, no longer content with being just the second tallest building in the city, the Prudential, too, will shine at night.

Beginning last night and running through the end of December, the 51st floor of the Prudential will glow every night with a different color. Local organizations—such as the Boston Ballet and United Way—will participate in “flip the switch” ceremonies throughout the month, lighting the Prudential’s peak multifarious hues.

The Shops at Prudential Center is billing the display, “31 Nights of Light.” Participating organizations are hoping that, in the spirit of the holiday season, they will raise funding through the event with the colorful glows serving as a very prominent reminder of the season’s generous spirit.

Though the building has hosted similar charitable lightings in the past, those events often were a financial drain on participating groups who previously had to rent and install the lighting equipment. Now, in light of a permanent LEDs recently installed near the tower’s top, the cost is less daunting.

Last night, the spire shone green and red for the holiday season.

On the upside for the Old Hancock Building, the mnemonic device used to recall what each color scheme means (“Flashing red, your uncle’s dead; steady blue, gum on your shoe”) will no longer be the most forgettable architectural rhyme in the city. It’s hard enough remembering the four lines of the Hancock rhyme, but 31 lines, incorporating dozens of hues and organizations?

The Prudential Tower, decked out in holiday hues on Dec. 1