Commonlit | Giving Thanks for Hanukkah
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Name: Class: Giving Thanks for Hanukkah Hanukkah really is on the same day every year… just on a different calendar. By Debra Hess 2016 Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev, which can occur between late November and late December. In this informational text, Debra Hess discusses why Hanukkah doesn’t appear to fall on the same day every year. As you read, take notes on the different types of calendars discussed in the text. [1] In 2013, the first day of Hanukkah was on Thanksgiving. In 2014, the first day was on December 17. In 2016, the first day of Hanukkah [was] on Christmas Day. How can this be? Why is it so confusing? Why can’t Hanukkah always be on the same day? After all, Thanksgiving has been celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November for more than 70 years. Kwanzaa always begins on December 26. New Year’s Eve is always celebrated on December 31. And many Christians have been celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25 since the fourth century. "Giving Thanks for Hanukkah" by Amy Wummer is used with permission. So why does the Festival of Lights fall on Thanksgiving [one] year and on Christmas in 2016? Why does the date keep shifting? Actually, it doesn’t. The first night of Hanukkah is always on the 25th day of the month of Kislev on the Jewish calendar. Sunrise, Sunset [5] The dates of Jewish holidays do not change from year to year. It’s simply that the Jewish calendar is based on a lunar year, which is shorter than a solar year. A solar year is the time it takes the earth to go around the sun once. There are 365 days in 12 months in the solar year — well, 365¼ days, to be more precise.1 Most people in the world use the Gregorian calendar, which is based on a solar year. 1. Precise (adjective): exact or accurate 1 A lunar calendar follows the phases of the moon. Like the solar year, the lunar year also has 12 months, but each lunar month has only 29 or 30 days. At the end of a lunar year, only 354 or 355 days have passed. In addition, the days on the Jewish calendar begin at sundown. And since the sun goes down at a different time each night, the length of each day is also different from the 24-hour days on the Gregorian calendar. This means that every year, the solar and lunar calendars differ by about 11 days. In order for the holidays to fall in the correct seasons, an adjustment needs to be made to the lunar calendar every three years. Likewise, we adjust the solar calendar every four years. You know that adjustment as leap day: February 29. Sound confusing? It is. But what isn’t confusing is the spirit of the season. Thanksgiving is a time to appreciate all that you have. Hanukkah is a celebration of miracles that helped to keep the Jewish people alive. What’s important is that people all over the world continue to celebrate their traditions — on whatever day they happen to fall! Copyright © Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved. 2 Text-Dependent Questions Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences. 1. PART A: Which sentence describes the central idea of the text? A. Hanukkah is one of many holidays that doesn’t fall on the same day every year. B. While the day Hanukkah is celebrated isn’t the same each year, what the holiday celebrates is. C. Depending on what calendar you follow, you might celebrate holidays on different days. D. The day that Hanukkah is celebrated on is an important part of the holiday. 2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “After all, Thanksgiving has been celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November for more than 70 years.” (Paragraph 2) B. “And since the sun goes down at a different time each night, the length of each day is also different from the 24-hour days on the Gregorian calendar.” (Paragraph 7) C. “Likewise, we adjust the solar calendar every four years. You know that adjustment as leap day: February 29.” (Paragraph 8) D. “Hanukkah is a celebration of miracles that helped to keep the Jewish people alive. What’s important is that people all over the world continue to celebrate their traditions — on whatever day they happen to fall!” (Paragraph 9) 3. Which statement best describes why Hanukkah doesn’t appear to fall on the same day every year? A. Jewish holidays use the Solar calendar, which has more days in the year than the more common Lunar calendar. B. It’s not important to the holiday to be celebrated on the same day every year, therefor it is often moved around. C. Jewish families are responsible for determining what day they want to celebrate Hanukkah. D. Jewish holidays are determined by the Lunar calendar, which has fewer days in the year than the widely used Solar calendar. 4. How does the final paragraph contribute to the development of ideas in the text? 3 Discussion Questions Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion. 1. In the context of the text, how do the calendars we follow shape our lives? 2. In the context of the text, how do the calendars we follow shape our lives? Do you think that the day people celebrate holidays on has an impact on how they celebrate? Why or why not? 3. How does celebrating a holiday influence a person’s identity? Why are holidays important to us? 4.