This year, the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, also known as “The Festival of Lights,” takes place from Dec. 12 to Dec. 20. However, the problem at large is that a majority of people can’t agree on a spelling, and very few people know why.

According to time.com, there are technically about 16 correct spellings of Hanukkah/Chanukah. However, Hanukkah/Chanukah have become the two most popular spellings. Only within the past five years has Hanukkah beaten Chanukah for the No. 1 spot on the list, due to a very simple reason – too many people who spoke English were confused by the “ch” being pronounced with an “h” sound.

So still, why SO many spellings? Isn’t it excessive or just plain confusing? Maybe to us, yes, but typically in languages such as Arabic and Hebrew the English translation is simply phonetic, meaning you spell it how it sounds.

It truly is that simple. Now that we’ve put the debacle to rest, let’s all just enjoy the holidays together.

How do you spell Hanukkah?
All of the following are considered technically correct spellings for The Festival of Lights: Hanukkah, Chanukah, Hanukah, Hannukah, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Hanuka, Channukah, Chanukka, Hanukka, Hannuka, Hannukkah, Channuka, Xanuka, Hannukka, Channukkah, Channukka and Chanuqa.