Hanukkah starts on Christmas Day in 2024 in rare occurrence
This year, for the first time since 2005, the first night of Hanukkah will fall on the same day as Christmas.
Christmas and Hanukkah both fall on the 25th, but are in two different months. Christmas is on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar, and Hanukkah starts on the 25th of Kislev in the Jewish calendar.
The start date of Hanukkah on the Gregorian calendar varies each year because the Jewish calendar is based on lunisolar calendar cycle. According to Chabad, the months in the Hebrew calendar follow a lunar cycle and last approximately 354 days. To avoid falling behind the solar calendar of approximately 365 days, every few years there is a “leap year” in the 13th month of the Jewish calendar.
Another difference is that on the Jewish calendar, the holiday begins at sunset and lasts until the next day, so Hanukkah, which lasts eight days, would begin a few hours after Christmas begins.
According to the Jewish Federations of North America, Hanukkah and Christmas have only occurred together a handful of times since 1900. The festival started on the same day in 1910, 1921, 1959 and 2005. Rabbi Joshua Stanton, vice president of interfaith initiatives at the Jewish Federations of North America, sees it as an opportunity to learn, collaborate and unite.
“Our goal is not to proselytize; it is to learn deeply from each other,” Stanton told CBS News in a statement. “Others see you as you see yourself.”
Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, said he sees the holiday’s integration as an opportunity to value America’s diverse religious landscape
“We have learned that we must work to protect this, especially during times when anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred are on the rise,” Hall told CBS News in an email.
The concentration of holidays also presents unique opportunities and challenges for interfaith families. Some celebrate what’s called “Chrismukkah,” a name derived from the holiday overlap made popular by the TV series “The O.C.”
“I think Hanukkah in particular has been viewed as a type of Jewish Christmas, and we’re seeing more and more interest in how they correspond to each other. Both holidays celebrate light and God’s presence in dark times Interested,” Candida Moss, professor of theology at the University of Birmingham told cbs news. “Certainly, this provides a tremendous opportunity for interfaith families to celebrate both traditions together.”
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said he believes each holiday should be given the attention it deserves and not be lumped together “because I think that would be a disservice to each holiday.” Uniqueness.”
“But this proximity actually allows us to understand more, appreciate those of different faiths more, and allows us to create more light during what is often a very dark time of year,” Jacobs said. told cbs news.
According to reports, the two holidays will coincide again in 2035 and 2054. Hebkar.
It is also rare for Hanukkah to begin on Christmas Eve. This has happened twice in the past 50 years: once in 1978 and again in 2016.
