Hanukkah is one of the most well-known and celebrated Jewish holidays around the world. It is a time of tradition and celebration for many families, but why does it start on different days each year? The answer lies in the difference between the traditional Jewish calendar and the more commonly-used Gregorian calendar.
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The Jewish Calendar
The Jewish calendar is based on a lunar cycle, meaning that each month begins and ends with the new moon. Just like the Gregorian calendar, the Jewish calendar is 11-12 days shorter than the solar year, in order for the first day of each month to stay on a seasonally consistent date. To make up for the difference, an extra month is added to the calendar seven times every 19 years. This type of extra month, called a leap month, causes different holidays to begin on different days each year.
Hanukkah
The History
Hanukkah is a celebration of the successful Maccabean revolt against the Greeks in 165 BCE. The Jewish ancestors in the revolt rededicated the temple of Jerusalem and had enough oil to last for only one night, but the oil miraculously lasted for 8 nights. To commemorate this miracle, Hanukkah is celebrated over 8 nights with the lighting of a menorah every night.
Why Different Dates?
For most of the Jewish calendar, Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the month of Kislev, which usually falls sometime in November or December. However, due to the regular intercalation of leap months to keep the seasonal consistency of the calendar, the date of Hanukkah can vary from year to year. For example, due to the added leap month in 2018, which caused the month of Kislev to begin much earlier than usual, Hanukkah occurred at the end of November that year, rather than usually around the beginning of December.
The Significance
The flexibility of the Jewish calendar is important to the Jewish community because it allows them to celebrate holidays on days that are relevant to that year’s specific calendar. This phenomenon gives them an opportunity to better savor the little details of each holiday season in a way that is impossible for holidays that are fixed to the Gregorian calendar.
In conclusion, the versatility of the Jewish calendar gives the Jewish community the opportunity to experience specific holidays on days aligned with that year’s calendar, which can create varied and unique experiences each year. This is the reason why Hanukkah occurs on different days each year and why it is such a revered holiday for Jews around the world.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.