For the first time since 2005, the first night of Hanukkah will fall on the same day as Christmas.
The two winter holidays converge an average of five times a century, 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 Kislev, changes year to year because the Jewish calendar relies on a lunar calendar, based on how long it takes the moon to go around the sun. The lunar calendar is about 354 days long, as opposed to the 365-day solar calendar, which is the time it takes for the Earth to revolve around the sun.
That shorter lunar calendar means that from one year to the next, Hanukkah, which lasts eight nights, will start 11 days earlier. Hanukkah can begin as early as Thanksgiving, but New York Board of Rabbis President Elie Weinstock notes that the Festival of Lights always happens in the winter because Jewish tradition requires holidays to take place during particular seasons.
To account for that, the Jewish calendar has leap years which add an additional 13th month. “The way this works is that the sun in the moon are in the exact same position every 19 years,” says Weinstock. “In that 19-year cycle, there are seven leap years.”
While Hanukkah and Christmas are celebrated by different religions, the two share similar messaging around the need for more good and peace around the world. “It’s a mitzvah to bring light into the world. If you look at Christmas, it’s all about bringing light and love,” says Potasnik. “We both believe that we have a special obligation to illuminate this world with love and kindness.”
