When Is Hannukah

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a significant Jewish holiday that is observed for eight days and nights. The dates of Hanukkah vary each year on the Gregorian calendar, which is the most widely used calendar in the world, because the holiday is based on the Hebrew calendar, a lunisolar calendar.

Understanding the Hebrew Calendar

The Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar, meaning that it is based on both the cycles of the moon and the sun. A lunar cycle, or month, is approximately 29.5 days, and the Hebrew calendar has 12 or 13 months in a year, depending on whether it is a leap year or not. The start of each month is determined by the new moon. The holiday of Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the month of Kislev and ends on the 2nd or 3rd day of the month of Tevet.

Determining the Dates of Hanukkah

Because the Hebrew calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, the dates of Hanukkah on the Gregorian calendar appear to move slightly from year to year. Generally, Hanukkah falls in late November or December, but it can start as early as November 27th or as late as December 26th. The exact dates are calculated based on the lunar cycles and ensure that Hanukkah always starts on the 25th of Kislev, regardless of when this falls on the solar calendar used internationally.

Hanukkah is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, a special candelabrum with nine branches, one for each of the eight days of the holiday plus the shamash (helper candle) used to light the other candles. Other traditions include eating foods fried in oil, such as latkes and sufganiyot (jelly donuts), playing dreidel, and exchanging gifts.

Celebrating Hanukkah

The celebration of Hanukkah is filled with joy, family, and tradition. Each night, after sunset, families and friends gather to light the menorah, say blessings, and eat special foods. The holiday is a time for reflection on the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days in the rededicated Temple, allowing the Jews to prepare new oil, and it symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and freedom over oppression.

Hanukkah Traditions

Some of the key traditions and activities associated with Hanukkah include lighting the menorah, saying special prayers, eating traditional foods like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot, playing with the dreidel (a spinning top with Hebrew letters on its sides), and exchanging gifts, especially for children. These customs vary among different Jewish communities but share the common theme of celebrating the miracle of Hanukkah and the victory of the Maccabees.

• Lighting the Menorah: Each night, one additional candle is lit until all eight candles and the shamash are burning on the final night.
• Eating Traditional Foods: Foods fried in oil, like latkes and sufganiyot, are eaten to commemorate the miracle of the oil.
• Playing Dreidel: A game of chance played with a spinning top, the dreidel has Hebrew letters on its sides that determine what the player does next.
• Exchanging Gifts: While not a traditional part of Hanukkah, exchanging gifts, especially for children, has become a common practice in many Jewish families, inspired by the holiday's proximity to Christmas.