Christmas Day and Hanukkah fall on the same day for first time in nearly 2 decades
AUSTIN, Texas - The start of the Jewish holiday, Hanukkah, falls on the same day as Christmas this year, and the occurrence is rare.
Christmas and Hanukkah have only been on the same date a handful of times throughout history, including 1910, 1921, 1959, and most recently, 2005.
December 25, 2024, marked the first time these two holidays aligned in nearly two decades.
"Hanukkah happens around the calendar, and it's really interesting that this year it begins on the 25th of December at night, and it goes for eight days," said Neil Blumofe, Senior Rabbi at the Congregation Agudas Achim.
The Festival of Lights begins at sundown and is observed on the 25th. It is based on the Jewish calendar, which is why it is rare for it to fall on the same day as Christmas.
"One light is good, but when you start lighting more lights, the energy is stronger and positive, and we want to spread a little bit of light in Austin right now to everyone," said Linda Nordhauser, a volunteer.
The congregation distributed baked goods to local first responders on Wednesday, and it has been doing this for almost 30 years.
"You always feel good when you help other people," said Melanie Lewis.
Community members helped assemble the boxes tied with ribbons and filled with tissue paper and cookies.
"That's actually the best part is to see everybody's faces when they're out in the fields, and they get something sweet," said Nordhauser.
Volunteers spent Christmas Day handing out sweets to Central Texas emergency rooms, police departments, and fire stations.
"This is our way as a Jewish community to say thank you to the people who really keep us safe and protect us and bring us back to health all year," said Blumofe.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Katie Pratt