How many days until Hanukkah 2026?
The first candle of Hanukkah is lit on the evening of Friday, December 4, 2026. The live countdown below uses the clock and time zone on your device.
- Weeks and days
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- Total hours
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- Weekdays in between (Mon–Fri)
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- Sleeps (nights)
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Hanukkah falls on a Friday. Sleeps counts the nights from today; weekdays in between excludes today and the day itself and does not subtract public holidays.
Dates shown are the evening the first candle is lit. The counter reaches zero at the start of that date; candles are lit after nightfall.
What is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah is the eight-night Jewish festival of lights. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BCE after the Maccabean revolt, and the tradition of a small supply of oil that lasted eight days. Each night, one more candle is lit on the menorah (hanukkiah), and families eat foods fried in oil, such as latkes and sufganiyot, and play dreidel.
Where it is observed: Observed by Jewish communities worldwide. Not a public holiday in the US; a school holiday in Israel.
How the date of Hanukkah is set
Hanukkah begins on 25 Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. Jewish days begin at sundown, so the first candle is lit on the evening before the first full day. The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, with leap months added seven times in nineteen years, so the first night falls between late November and late December.
Hanukkah dates for the next 6 occurrences
Calendar dates and weekdays. Use the countdown above for the time remaining.
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | December 4, 2026 | Friday |
| 2027 | December 24, 2027 | Friday |
| 2028 | December 12, 2028 | Tuesday |
| 2029 | December 1, 2029 | Saturday |
| 2030 | December 20, 2030 | Friday |
| 2031 | December 9, 2031 | Tuesday |
Candle-lighting times
Candles are usually lit after nightfall, and they should burn for at least half an hour after dark. On Friday, Hanukkah candles are lit before the Sabbath candles, which means before sunset; on Saturday, they are lit after the Sabbath ends. Local synagogue calendars publish exact times for each city.
The countdown on this page reaches zero at midnight at the start of the date shown, which is the day of the first evening. Plan around the local sunset rather than the midnight figure.
Work, school, and travel
Unlike Passover or Yom Kippur, Hanukkah carries no restrictions on work, so most observers keep normal schedules and celebrate in the evenings. In the US it is not a public holiday, though its overlap with the December holiday season often makes it a time for family gatherings. In Israel, schools close for much of the festival.
Because its Gregorian date varies, Hanukkah sometimes overlaps Christmas and occasionally, as in 2013, Thanksgiving.
Frequently asked questions about Hanukkah
Why does Hanukkah start in the evening?
In the Jewish calendar each day begins at sundown. The first day of Hanukkah is 25 Kislev, so its first night, and the first candle, come on the evening before that date.
How is Hanukkah spelled?
The name is transliterated from Hebrew, so several spellings are correct, including Hanukkah, Chanukah, and Hanukah.
Do people take time off work for Hanukkah?
Usually not. Work is permitted during Hanukkah, so most people keep regular hours and light candles in the evening.
Other countdowns
Days remaining until other holidays and observances. See all holiday countdowns.