You’ve been hearing the stories about Christmas and Hanukkah falling on the same day, here in 2024, December 25th and how rare that it is.
It’s the first time it’s happened in 20 years and it won’t happen again until 2035.
But there is something very much the same between the two holidays about when they occur. Both holidays are not just one day.
Hanukkah lasts eight days with the lights lit every night to mark what the Jewish celebration is all about, the commemoration and re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
And the Christian celebration of Christmas officially lasts 12 days, starting on Dec 25th and running through Jan 5th and it’s much more than about all those partridges in pear trees and other gifts.
The 12 days mark the time from the celebration of the day the baby was born in Bethlehem to the day of the Epiphany, the day of the commemoration of when the three Wise Men from the East presented their gifts to that baby.
But for a long time, the days after the holidays quickly turn our attention to the celebration on New Year’s Eve.
But in more recent years, the celebration of another holiday that’s still nearly two months away, begjns the day after Christmas. Just walk into any store today, and you’ll see all the cards and candy already on display. Yep Valentine’s Day is already here.
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