Hanukkah, one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays, spans eight nights, from December 25 to January 2.
This year, the first night of Hanukkah coincided with Christmas for the first time since 2005. Rabbi Jonathan Hecht of Temple Har Shalom in Park City, Utah, explained how the Hebrew calendar — a combination of lunar and solar elements — differs from the Gregorian calendar.
“We follow the Hebrew months or lunar months, which means every year there’s 11 days shorter than a solar year,” said Rabbi Hecht. “So every couple of years we add an adjustment, which is another month around March.”…