December is a month full of holidays that convey households, mates, and family members collectively. Among these particular events are Christmas, New Year’s, and Hanukkah. On December 16, President Biden remarked on Hanukkah throughout a speech, as famous on The White House web site: “Look, when you walk around the White House, you feel the history and the story of our nation, including the story of the Jewish people who came to our shores in the 1600s after fleeing persecution abroad.” He added, “Like the ancient Hanukkah story when Jewish M- — when the Jewish Maccabees fought for religious freedom thousands of years ago, a letter to George Washington echoed the same vision for freedom. And ever since, the values and contributions of the Jewish Americans have shaped the very foundation and character of our nation.”
Learn extra about Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish vacation throughout which the menorah is lit every evening, under. Hollywood Life has gathered key particulars in regards to the competition, together with when it takes place, whether or not it’s a federal vacation, and extra.
When Is Hanukkah 2024?
The Jewish vacation begins on December 25, 2024, coinciding with Christmas Day, and involves an finish on January 2, 2025. According to Britannica, the competition “reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival.”
Does the U.S. Observe Hanukkah as a Federal Holiday?
While the United States observes Christmas as a federal vacation, President Biden just lately introduced that federal staff would even have December 24 off for Christmas Eve. As acknowledged on The White House web site, he declared: “All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Tuesday, December 24, 2024, the day before Christmas Day.”
Hanukkah, nevertheless, will not be acknowledged as a federal vacation within the United States.
Are Businesses Open on Hanukkah 2024?
Since Hanukkah will not be a federal vacation, most shops and companies stay open. However, some Jewish-owned companies might shut in the course of the vacation to watch the custom.