For for the first time since 2005, the first night of Hanukkah will fall on the same day as Christmas.
The two winter holidays coincide an average of five times in a hundred, according to Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, Executive Vice President of the New York Board of Rabbis.
Since 1900, the first night of Hanukkah has fallen on December 25 five times: 1910, 1921, 1959, 2005, and now 2024. The first night of Hanukkah, which begins on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, changes from year to year. because the Jewish calendar is based on the lunar calendar, based on how long it takes the moon to revolve around the sun. A lunar calendar is about 354 days long, compared to a 365-day calendar, which is the time it takes for the Earth to orbit the sun.
That short lunar calendar means that from year to year, Hanukkah, which lasts eight nights, will begin 11 days earlier. Hanukkah may start as early as Thanksgiving, but New York Rabbinical Board President Elie Weinstock notes that the Festival of Lights always takes place in the winter because Jewish tradition requires holidays to occur during certain seasons.
To account for that, the Jewish calendar has leap years that add another 13 months. “The way this works is that the sun and the moon are in the same exact position every 19 years,” Weinstock said. “In that 19-year cycle, there are seven leap years.”
While Hanukkah and Christmas are celebrated by different religions, they both share similar messages about the need for more goodness and peace around the world. “It is a mitzvah to bring light to the world. “When you look at Christmas, it’s all about bringing light and love,” said Potasnik. We both believe that we have a special responsibility to enlighten this world with love and kindness.”
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