Mark's Notebook

This Year, the Meaning of Dec. 25 Is Twofold

Washington Post

By Sue Anne Pressley, Washington Post Staff Writer

The first night of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, falls on Christmas Day for the first time since 1959 and for only the fourth time in 100 years.

For kids and retailers, there should be no argument with the dual fete because it means a bonanza in some cases: double the presents.

But in some households, there may be a few debates: Will it be mashed potatoes with that big meal or potato latkes?

Perhaps the best thing about the holiday coincidence is the obvious point: fewer people left out of festivities that day.

Interfaith families appreciate what the two holidays share: Both are happy social occasions, they say, and both emphasize the beauty of lights. The central story of Hanukkah is the miracle of the lights, when oil that seemed sufficient to light a temple menorah for one night managed to last for eight.

"Both Christmas and Hanukkah are celebrations of joy. In fact, having them together, except for the fact that people might have to race around from one table to another, might be a way of underscoring our common ground: 'Let's bring everybody closer together.' "

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/11/AR2005121101163.
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