Every calendar year, the two major holidays of Christmas and Hanukkah confront us for planning our gift giving and family gatherings. Usually, these holidays fall fairly close together in the month of December, as retailers get ready for the biggest part of the shopping year. However, just like the infrequency of total solar eclipses, sometimes the calendars don’t fall on the same cycles and Hanukkah can begin in the month of November. This year, Hanukkah begins on the evening of Wednesday, November 27th with the first full day of Hanukkah on Thanksgiving. The last time that happened was 1918. So, what does this mean Black Friday shoppers?
For followers of Judaism, Hanukkah is an extended holiday lasting 8 nights. The modern tradition for gift giving is to partake in a new gift each and every night. This means as soon as Halloween costumes have been put back in the closet or thrown away in the trash, followers of Judaism will quickly be challenged with only three weeks to gather up all of their gifts to get ready for the Hanukkah season.
It’s no wonder retailers will be licking their chops and thinking that this could be the greatest retail season of all time. Last year, we saw Black Friday’s turn into Black Wednesday, Black come on Thanksgiving and shop with us, and culminate in the dreaded Black Friday followed by Cyber Monday. Does this mean that next to the witch outfits, Superman costumes, and Harry Potter décor during Halloween that we’ll see a full aisle of dreidels and Jewish stars getting ready for the holiday season? You betcha! This will be the year that we will witness the double Black Friday giving families who celebrate Hanukkah their own special Black Friday sales. For those that celebrate Christmas, you could actually get to do Black Friday twice if you are a true shopping junkie.
The next time this phenomenon will happen is in the year 2070, so for families that celebrate Hanukkah, this Thanksgiving will be unfamiliar territory for sure. You can bet your bottom dollar that on November 1st, it will be open season for holiday shopping. If you celebrate Hanukkah, how will you plan to celebrate your Thanksgiving?
Written by:
Ted Jenkin
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Ted Jenkin, CFP®, AAMS®, AWMA®, CRPC®, CMFC®, CRPS®, is co-CEO of oXYGen Financial and is a top ranked personal finance blogger (www.yoursmartmoneymoves.com). He is a regular contributor to Investment News, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through NFP Advisor Services, LLC (NFPAS), Member FINRA/SIPC. Oxygen Financial is not affiliated with NFPAS.