HELENA — Today marks the first of eight nights of Hanukkah. The annual holiday is also known as the festival of lights by many of the Jewish faith.
The eight candles of the menorah stand for the eight days of Hannukah - with a new candle lit each night at sundown. This year Christmas Day and the first day of Hanukkah share the same space on the calendar for just the fourth time since 1900.
Some might be wondering why Hanukkah is so late this year - the simplest answer is that the Jewish calendar, based on lunar cycles, does not sync with the Gregorian calendar.
Hanukkah always starts on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev in the Jewish calendar, which falls between late November and late December on the Gregorian calendar, depending on the year.
Hanukkah begins at sundown on Dec. 25, 2024, and concludes at sundown on January 2, 2025.
