Christmas Day and the first night of Hanukkah fall on the same date this year for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Flashback: Hanukkah last started on the evening of Christmas Day in 2005 — the only other time the two have aligned in the last 50 years.

• Hanukkah has started the night of Christmas Eve twice in the last 50 years: in 1978 and 2016.

How it works: The first day of Hanukkah comes on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar, which is based on lunar cycles with the occasional "leap month."

• Jewish calendar days begin at sundown, meaning 25 Kislev starts this year on the evening of Dec. 25, when the first candle is lit.
• Hanukkah can start in late November through late December on the more commonly used Gregorian calendar.

By the numbers: The earliest first nights of Hanukkah on the Gregorian calendar over the last 50 years came in 1994 and 2013, when it fell on Nov. 27.

• The latest came in 1986, on Dec. 26.
• The most common first night over the last 50 years? Dec. 8 (1974, 1993, 2012).

💬 Our thought bubble: This year's "Chrismukkah" is both a simple celestial coincidence and a blessing for people who take part in both holidays, giving us a rare chance to truly blend and share end-of-year celebrations and traditions with our different family groups and loved ones.

What's next: The next Hanukkah-Christmas alignment is in 2035.

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Christmas week has been called the most important time of year for movie theater revenue.

The intrigue: This holiday theater season got off to a running start with "Glicked's" release around Thanksgiving, generating $170 million in domestic ticket sales its first weekend.

Here are the films theater owners hope will draw even more customers on Christmas Day:

"Wicked: Sing-Along"

• This lyric version of "Wicked" is for all fans who were told to be quiet in November. Trailer

"A Complete Unknown"

• Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton and Elle Fanning star in this biopic about Bob Dylan's early career. Trailer

"Nosferatu"

• This reboot (or remake of a remake) of the 1922 German horror about a vampire who is obsessively infatuated with a haunted woman stars Bill Skarsgård, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Willem Dafoe. And for anyone who wants to eat popcorn out of a sarcophagus while they watch, Regal has a bucket for that. Trailer

"Babygirl"

• Nicole Kidman and Antonio Banderas star in this thriller about a CEO who risks it all when she begins an affair with a young intern. Trailer

"The Fire Inside"

• The story of the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing is told in this biopic starring Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry. Trailer

"Nickel Boys"

• This film about two boys unjustly sentenced to a reform school in the Jim Crow-era South is based on Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Trailer

"Sonic the Hedgehog 3"

• Keanu Reeves lends his voice as Sonic's time-traveling arch-rival Shadow. Trailer

"Mufasa: The Lion King"

• Beyoncé voices Nala and her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, voices Kiara in this prequel to "The Lion King (2019)." Trailer

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Whether in a bedtime story, a mall or an advertisement, Santa Claus and his red suit have remained iconic fixtures of holiday culture.

The big picture: Santa, based on the fourth-century Greek bishop Saint Nicholas, has taken many different forms throughout the years, but his generosity remains a constant part of the holiday season.

More photos from the archives