Hanukkah 2026
Hanukkah 2026 begins on the evening of Friday, December 4, 2026 (first candle; 24 Kislev 5787, erev 25 Kislev) and ends on Saturday, December 12, 2026 (8th day; 2 Tevet 5787); the eighth candle is lit on the evening of Friday, December 11, 2026.
About Hanukkah
Hanukkah (חֲנֻכָּה), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the 2nd century BCE. According to tradition, when the Maccabees reclaimed the Temple, they found only enough consecrated oil to fuel the menorah for one day, but it miraculously lasted for eight days.
Each night of Hanukkah, an additional candle is lit on the menorah (hanukkiah), moving from right to left. Traditional foods include sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) and latkes (potato pancakes), both fried in oil to commemorate the miracle. Other traditions include playing dreidel and giving Hanukkah gelt (chocolate coins) to children.
This page uses the first-candle evening (erev 25 Kislev) as the start, matching the Hanukkah countdown and Israel holidays table, and the 8th day as the last day.
Hanukkah dates, 2025–2030
Start is the first-candle evening (24 Kislev / erev 25 Kislev). End is the last day (8th day: 2 Tevet, or 3 Tevet when Kislev has 29 days). The eighth candle is lit the evening before the last day. Weekdays are shown for the start and the last day.
| Year | First candle evening | Last day | 8th candle evening | Hebrew dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (past) | December 14, 2025 (Sunday) | December 22, 2025 (Monday) | December 21, 2025 | 24 Kislev 5786 – 2 Tevet 5786 |
| 2026 | December 4, 2026 (Friday) | December 12, 2026 (Saturday) | December 11, 2026 | 24 Kislev 5787 – 2 Tevet 5787 |
| 2027 | December 24, 2027 (Friday) | January 1, 2028 (Saturday) | December 31, 2027 | 24 Kislev 5788 – 2 Tevet 5788 |
| 2028 | December 12, 2028 (Tuesday) | December 20, 2028 (Wednesday) | December 19, 2028 | 24 Kislev 5789 – 2 Tevet 5789 |
| 2029 | December 1, 2029 (Saturday) | December 9, 2029 (Sunday) | December 8, 2029 | 24 Kislev 5790 – 3 Tevet 5790 |
| 2030 | December 20, 2030 (Friday) | December 28, 2030 (Saturday) | December 27, 2030 | 24 Kislev 5791 – 2 Tevet 5791 |
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Hanukkah 2026 start?
Hanukkah 2026 begins on the evening of Friday, December 4, 2026, which is 24 Kislev 5787 (erev 25 Kislev). That evening is when the first candle is lit. The eight nights run through Friday, December 11, 2026. The last day (8th day) is Saturday, December 12, 2026 (2 Tevet 5787).
How many nights is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah lasts eight nights. Candles are lit on each of the eight evenings, from the first-candle evening through the eighth. The last day of the holiday is the 8th day, the civil date after the eighth-candle evening.
When is the first candle in 2026?
The first candle of Hanukkah 2026 is lit on the evening of Friday, December 4, 2026 (24 Kislev 5787, erev 25 Kislev). The eighth candle is lit on the evening of Friday, December 11, 2026.
Is Hanukkah a day off in Israel?
Hanukkah is not an official public holiday or statutory rest day in Israel. Government offices and most workplaces remain open. Israeli schools typically have a Hanukkah vacation; the exact school-vacation dates are set by the education system each year.
When is Hanukkah in other years?
Gregorian dates shift because Hanukkah follows the Hebrew calendar (the holiday begins on 25 Kislev; the first candle is lit the evening before). The last day is 2 Tevet, or 3 Tevet when Kislev has 29 days. The table on this page lists first-candle evenings, last days, and eighth-candle evenings for 2025 through 2030.
Related pages
- Days until Hanukkah — live countdown to the next first-candle evening
- Holidays — holiday countdowns and country calendars
- Israel public holidays — Hebrew-calendar table, including Hanukkah
- December 4, 2026 — first candle evening
- December 11, 2026 — eighth candle evening
- December 12, 2026 — last day (8th day)
About the data
Dates come from the site's generated Jewish holiday tables (Israel settings): first candle = erev 25 Kislev, last day = 8th day (2 Tevet, or 3 Tevet when Kislev has 29 days). For religious observance, confirm locally. Read our methodology.