If Hanukkah is based on the lunar calendar, then why is it in December?

Question

every year?

I read another question saying it sometimes goes into January only. How can this be? We Muslims use the lunar calendar as well and the Islamic dates move up 11 days each year, so that the holidays and Ramadan eventually fall throughout the year at some point. Why is this not true for Hanukkah?

Thank you for your answers. I get it now.

Answer 1

The Hebrew calendar compensates for the 11 day difference. Some of our holidays are connected to the harvests, so it would make no sense to have, for example, a fall harvest holiday, any time of year except in the fall.
Here is a quote from Wikipedia:
"Because of the roughly eleven-day difference between twelve lunar months and one solar year, the year lengths of the Hebrew calendar vary in a repeating 19-year Metonic cycle of 235 lunar months, with an intercalary lunar month added every two or three years, for a total of 7 times per 19 years."
In other words, to keep our lunar year more or less aligned with the solar year, every two or three years, our calendar has an extra lunar month (Adar II)of 28 days. So Hanukkah can begin as early as late November, or as late as late December. However, in my 60 years, I do not recall Hanukkah ever being as late as January.

Answer 2

Judaism follows a Solar-lunar calendar. As major festivals are supposed to take place at specific times of the year we have "laep years" to compensate, these occur 7 times in a 19 -year cycle and encompass an extra month to bring the festicals into line with the seasons.

Answer 3

Very interesting question and very interesting answer.

I was hoping one of the answerers could tell us if there is any section of Jewish followers that doesn't prescribe to this modified lunar calendar? Thanks.

Answer 4

Jews add one more month to their calender every year so their holidays stay the same.