Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday celebrated in remembrance of the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. According to the Talmud, the holiday commemorates the miracle of the one-day jar of oil found in the temple that lasted eight days. Since Hanukkah is based on the lunar calendar, estimating the Hebrew date for the holiday can fluctuate. That said, the calculation of the date for Hanukkah is actually made with relative ease.
Hanukkah dates are determined according to two distinct calendars: the Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar. The Hebrew calendar, which is also known as the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar. This means that months follow the cycle of the moon, while years are adjusted to the cycle of the sun. There are two main methods used in the calculation of the date of Hanukkah.Table of Contents
Calculating the Date using the Molad
The basis for calculating any specific Hebrew calendar date is the Molad. A Molad is a function of the normal Moon cycle (which is 29 days, 12 hours and 793 parts). The Molad represents the time when the Moon returns to the exact same position as it was in its last cycle. The information used to calculate the Molad is provided weekly by the Israel Institute of Technology in Jerusalem.
Adjustments to the Molad
Once the Molad has been determined, the calculations for the next Jewish date is adjusted based on the restriction that no Jewish holiday is allowed to fall on a Sunday, Wednesday or Friday. To ensure that this restriction is met, the following adjustments are used:
Dehiyyot
- Postponement Rule: All holidays are postponed to the next day if the Molad falls on the same day as a Wednesday, a Friday, or a Sabbath.
- Early Holiday Rule: Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) is advanced to a Tuesday if the Molad occurs on a Monday.
- Platform Rule: If Rosh Hashana falls on a Monday or a Tuesday, the following holidays are advanced as well.
The Result – A Christian Date for Hanukkah
Once the Dehiyyot have been accounted for, the remaining calculation are used to convert the Hebrew date into a Christian date. Since the Gregorian calendar is used to record the dates of the Christian holidays, the Gregorian calendar must also be used to record the dates of the Jewish holidays. This is important to note, since the Hebrew calendar contains months with either 29 or 30 days, while the Gregorian calendar contains months with either 28, 29, 30 or 31 days.
In conclusion, calculating the date of Hanukkah is made easier by looking at the Jewish and Gregorian calendars, and accounting for the Molad and Dehiyyot. This process allows the date of Hanukkah to fluctuate yet remain consistent, ensuring that the Jewish holiday is celebrated on the correct day each and every year.
Related Products:
- How Are The Dates Of Hanukkah Determined?
- How Are The Dates For Hanukkah Determined?
- How Is The Date For Hanukkah Determined?
- How Are The Days Of Hanukkah Determined?
- What Are The Dates For Hanukkah?
- How Is Hanukkah Date Determined?
- How Is The Date Of Hanukkah Determined?
- What Are The Dates Of Hanukkah?
- What Dates Are Hanukkah?
- Why Do The Dates Of Hanukkah Change?
- What Are The Dates For Hanukkah Celebration?
- What Are The Hanukkah Dates?
- How Is Hanukkah Determined?
- How Is The Start Of Hanukkah Determined?
- Why Does Hanukkah Change Dates Every Year?
Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.