Kirsten Kraus | Staff Writer

Freshman Lauren Siegel will stand with her family, candle in hand, as they recite the prayers for the first night of Hanukkah. The table will be set with turkey and latkes as the family goes through their

Hanukkah traditions, lighting the candles and exchanging presents – all much earlier in the season than usual.

This year Hanukkah and Thanksgiving both fall on November 28. Usually, Hanukkah occurs in mid-December, but has a very early start in 2013. Having the holiday start so early has some people wondering if it will cause the holidays to be celebrated less.

“Because it starts on Thanksgiving, Hanukkah won’t be as special this year,” freshman Lauren Siegel said, “We’re going to be focusing on Thanksgiving, so we won’t be able to celebrate Hanukkah as much on the first night.”

Combining two holidays  is going to be difficult for some.  The usual routines for a Hanukkah night will be interrupted by a Thanksgiving feast.

“Usually, we’ll make Hanukkah foods for the first night and celebrate the most then, but for the days that follow, we don’t celebrate as much. On all eight nights we light the Menorah and say the prayers, then we give each other presents,” freshman Lauren Siegel said, “This year because Hanukkah starts on Thanksgiving it is going to be harder to celebrate both. We’ll probably make both Hanukkah and Thanksgiving foods, light the candles, and give exchange presents, but we won’t be able to observe the holiday to the full extent.”

Having to combine the holidays is an unusual event, so some people don’t particularly like the early start.

“I like having Hanukkah later in the year. It’s going to feel really weird to have it start this early. This is the first time I’ve been around for Hanukkah to start on Thanksgiving, so I’m not used to it. I would prefer to have it later in the year, like on Christmas break,”  Siegal said.

The early start might upset some people , but others feel this very rare occasion is special.

“I don’t really mind the early start this year. This is the first time since 1888 that both Hanukkah and Thanksgiving fall on the same day, so it’s actually really special,” junior Erin Kraus said.

However, some families are trying their hardest to combine the holidays and make both special.

“This year since we have to combine Thanksgiving and Hanukkah we’re  calling it Thanksgivukkah,” Kraus said. “I don’t mind combining the holidays. I think my family will try and incorporate both by putting Hanukkah foods out in Thanksgiving dinner and lighting candles and giving presents afterward.”

Every year the dates of Hanukkah are altered. While dates and events are normally based on the yearly calendar, there is a whole other process for determining those in Jewish society.

“Hanukkah is determined by the Jewish calendar. It isn’t the same from year to year, so sometimes it falls late and sometimes early, and this year it just happens to be on Thanksgiving,” Kraus said.