1 year ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Christmas is synonymous with Dec. 25 - but this year, truthful is Hanukkah.
The Jewish vacation typically has a antithetic commencement day each year, but Hanukkah and Christmas person fallen connected the aforesaid time 4 times successful the past century. Hanukkah, however, does not travel the aforesaid calendar arsenic Christmas.
“For us, it's the aforesaid time each year, the Hebrew period and day. It's the 25th time of the Hebrew period of Kislev. That's a lunar calendar and it doesn't correspond each twelvemonth with the Gregorian calendar,” Temple Beth Israel Rabbi Rick Winer said.
The alignment of Hanukkah and Christmas made Winer bespeak connected the root of Hanukkah.
“Thousands of years ago, erstwhile the past temple successful Jerusalem was destroyed and desecrated. The Maccabee soldiers were capable to rally and propulsion them retired and came to victory. The fable says that they lone recovered capable ineffable lipid to airy the lamp that needs to beryllium lit successful the temple for 1 night. But it lasted eight, and that was a miracle. And truthful we observe for 8 nights,” Winer said.
Winer says done the years, helium has noticed much radical observe aggregate spiritual holidays.
“You person radical who person ever celebrated Christmas with the Christian broadside of the household and successful Hanukkah, with the Jewish broadside of the household and backmost and forth,” Winer said.
For Winer's family, they are looking guardant to opening Hanukkah with the lighting of the menorah.
“There are a mates of prayers that are said erstwhile we airy it, abbreviated prayers that we typically sing. And that's the cardinal that conscionable lights the Hanukkah menorah. Along with that, radical volition sing songs, play games, the dreidel game, and past it's accepted to navigator foods utilizing oil,” Winer said.
And, Winer besides has immoderate Christmas time plans.
“We are pursuing 1 of the classical traditions of galore successful the Jewish assemblage passim America. So our household volition beryllium going to the movies and getting Chinese food,” Winer said.
Hanukkah volition instrumentality spot until Jan. 2, 2025.
