Lighting of Menorah Sunday at Framingham Centre Common

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FRAMINGHAM – Hanukkah begins at sundown today, Sunday, Nov. 28 and lasts until sundown on Monday, Dec. 6.

There will be a menorah lighting at the Framingham Centre Common tonight at 4. All are welcome.

Hanukkah, which is Hebrew for “dedication,” is called the Festival of Lights.

It commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian Greek Army, and the subsequent miracle of rededicating the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and restoring its menorah, or lamp. The miracle of Hanukkah is that only one vial of oil was found with just enough oil to illuminate the Temple lamp for one day, and yet it lasted for eight full days.

Those of the Jewish faith celebrate Hanukkah by lighting the menorah, one candle a night.

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Hanukkah is very early this year and doesn’t even start in December.

The holiday dates fluctuate annually, due to the differences between the Hebrew and the Gregorian calendars. The Gregorian calendar is 365 days and the Hebrew calendar is 354 days.

The current Jewish year of 5782 is just such a year.

In the early spring 2022, the Jewish calendar will add an additional month, Adar II, to bring the calendars back into alignment.