Hanukkah 2026: Dec. 4-12 Dates and Candle-Lighting Times by City

Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) is the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights. It recalls the Maccabees, a small band of Jewish fighters who retook Jerusalem and rededicated the Second Temple in the second century BCE. Because the holiday follows the Hebrew calendar, its dates shift on the secular calendar every year. So if you are planning dinners, gifts or a visit to family, here are the dates, local candle-lighting times and customs for Hanukkah 2026, night by night.

We checked every date in this guide against Hebcal, the long-running Jewish calendar service, and Chabad.org, one of the largest Jewish educational sites. Both list the same window: December 4 to December 12, 2026.

When is Hanukkah 2026?

Hanukkah 2026 starts on the evening of Friday, December 4, and runs through nightfall on Saturday, December 12. In other words, you light the first candle on Friday night and the eighth candle the following Friday night, December 11.

Jewish days begin at sundown, not midnight. That is why the first “day” of Hanukkah, 25 Kislev, actually begins on the evening of December 4. Then the final day, 2 Tevet, falls on Saturday, December 12, and the holiday closes when it gets dark that night.

Does Hanukkah 2026 start on the same day in the US, UK and Canada?

Yes. Hanukkah starts on the evening of December 4 everywhere, including the US, the UK, Canada and Australia. However, the exact lighting time changes with your local sunset, so New York lights earlier than Los Angeles, and London earlier still.

Why does Hanukkah fall on different dates every year?

Hanukkah always begins on 25 Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, which follows both the moon and the sun. Since that calendar does not line up with the Gregorian one, the first night can land anywhere from late November to late December. For example, it starts on December 4 in 2026 but on December 24 in 2027.

Hanukkah 2026 calendar: night by night

The table below lists every night of Hanukkah 2026, the number of candles to light (not counting the helper candle) and when to light them. Two nights need extra care because they fall on Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, which runs from Friday sundown to Saturday nightfall.

Night	Evening of	Candles	When to light
1	Friday, Dec. 4	1	Before sundown, before Shabbat candles (NYC 4:10 p.m.)
2	Saturday, Dec. 5	2	After nightfall, once Shabbat ends (NYC 5:14 p.m.)
3	Sunday, Dec. 6	3	At dusk (NYC 4:52 p.m.)
4	Monday, Dec. 7	4	At dusk
5	Tuesday, Dec. 8	5	At dusk
6	Wednesday, Dec. 9	6	At dusk
7	Thursday, Dec. 10	7	At dusk
8	Friday, Dec. 11	8	Before sundown, before Shabbat candles (NYC 4:10 p.m.)
Final day	Saturday, Dec. 12	None	Holiday ends at nightfall

Rosh Chodesh Tevet, the start of the Hebrew month of Tevet, also falls during Hanukkah 2026, on Thursday and Friday, December 10 and 11, according to Hebcal. As a result, synagogues add the new-month prayers to the Hanukkah ones on those days.

Hanukkah 2026 candle lighting times by city

Hanukkah 2026 candle lighting starts at 4:10 p.m. in New York City on Friday, December 4, according to Hebcal, and between about 3:53 p.m. (Boston) and 5:11 p.m. (Miami) in other major US cities. The table below shows Hebcal’s times for 14 cities, in local time, for every night of the holiday.

City (local time)	Night 1: Fri, Dec. 4 (before sundown)	Night 2: Sat, Dec. 5 (after Shabbat)	Nights 3 to 7: Dec. 6 to 10 (dusk)	Night 8: Fri, Dec. 11 (before sundown)
New York City	4:10 p.m.	5:14 p.m.	4:52 p.m.	4:10 p.m.
Boston	3:53 p.m.	4:58 p.m.	4:36 p.m.	3:53 p.m.
Philadelphia	4:17 p.m.	5:20 p.m.	4:58 p.m.	4:17 p.m.
Washington, D.C.	4:28 p.m.	5:30 p.m.	5:08 p.m.	4:28 p.m.
Atlanta	5:10 p.m.	6:09 p.m.	5:48 p.m.	5:11 p.m.
Miami	5:11 p.m.	6:07 p.m.	5:46 p.m.	5:12 p.m.
Chicago	4:01 p.m.	5:06 p.m.	4:44 p.m.	4:01 p.m.
Houston	5:03 p.m.	6:00 p.m.	5:40 p.m.	5:04 p.m.
Dallas	5:02 p.m.	6:01 p.m.	5:40 p.m.	5:03 p.m.
Denver	4:17 p.m.	5:20 p.m.	4:58 p.m.	4:17 p.m.
Phoenix	5:02 p.m.	6:00 p.m.	5:40 p.m.	5:02 p.m.
Los Angeles	4:25 p.m.	5:24 p.m.	5:03 p.m.	4:26 p.m.
San Francisco	4:32 p.m.	5:33 p.m.	5:12 p.m.	4:32 p.m.
Seattle	4:00 p.m.	5:10 p.m.	4:47 p.m.	3:59 p.m.

How Hebcal calculates these times

Each column follows a different rule. First, the Friday times are Hebcal’s Shabbat candle-lighting times, which by default fall 18 minutes before sunset, per Hebcal’s explanation of its times. Next, the Saturday time is Hebcal’s nightfall (havdalah) time, when the sun is 8.5 degrees below the horizon. Finally, the weeknight times are what Hebcal’s Hanukkah 2026 page labels dusk, a point between sunset and full nightfall.

Customs differ between communities, so some families light at sunset and others at nightfall on weeknights. Hebcal itself says its times can only be approximated and that you should consult your local rabbi if you have any doubts. So if your synagogue publishes its own schedule, follow it.

Hanukkah 2026 candle lighting on Shabbat: the Friday and Saturday rules

On Friday nights, you light the Hanukkah menorah first and the Shabbat candles second, because lighting the Shabbat candles starts the Sabbath, when kindling a flame is not allowed. Chabad.org says to light the menorah before the Shabbat candles on Friday and to kindle it only after Shabbat ends on Saturday night. Hanukkah 2026 has two Friday nights, December 4 and December 11, so this rule applies twice.

• Use bigger candles on Fridays. Since you light before sunset, the flames need to last until well after dark, so standard thin Hanukkah candles may burn out too soon.
• Wait on Saturday. On December 5, light only after Shabbat ends, which Hebcal puts at 5:14 p.m. in New York City.
• Plan Friday around it. In Boston and Seattle, the Friday lighting comes at or before 4 p.m., so leave work early if you can.

What does Hanukkah celebrate?

Hanukkah celebrates the Jewish victory over the Seleucid Greeks and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. In fact, the Hebrew word Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the holiday is sometimes called the Festival of Rededication.

The Maccabean revolt

According to My Jewish Learning, Jews in Judea revolted in 167 BCE against Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the ruler of the Seleucid Empire, after he turned the Temple into a pagan shrine. Then, in the autumn of 164 BCE, Judah the Maccabee and his followers recaptured the Temple and rededicated it.

The miracle of the oil

Rabbinic tradition adds a second miracle. When the Maccabees went to relight the Temple menorah, they found only one small jar of pure olive oil, enough for a single day. Yet it burned for eight days, long enough to prepare fresh oil. As a result, the holiday lasts eight nights, and each night adds one more light.

Is Hanukkah in the Bible?

Not in the Hebrew Bible. Instead, the story of the revolt appears in the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees, which are part of Catholic and Orthodox Bibles but not the Jewish canon. Meanwhile, the New Testament mentions the holiday once: John 10:22 refers to the Festival of Dedication in Jerusalem in winter.

Is Hanukkah a major Jewish holiday?

Hanukkah is a rabbinic holiday rather than one commanded in the Torah, so work and school go on as usual. My Jewish Learning calls it a fairly minor festival, although it is one of the most beloved. That said, Chabad.org pushes back on the word “minor,” because lighting the menorah is a cherished commandment. By comparison, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the High Holidays.

How do you light the menorah?

You light one candle on the first night and add one more each night until all eight burn together. The menorah used on Hanukkah, also called a hanukkiah, has nine branches. The ninth holds the shamash, or “attendant” candle, which lights the others. Here is the basic order, following Chabad.org:

1. Set up the candles. Place them in the menorah from right to left, adding one new spot each night.
2. Light the shamash first. Then gather everyone around.
3. Say the blessings. Recite three blessings on the first night and two on every night after.
4. Light from left to right. Start with the newest candle, so the newest light is always kindled first.
5. Linger and sing. Return the shamash to its place, sing a song such as “Maoz Tzur,” and enjoy the lights for about half an hour.

Families traditionally place the menorah in a doorway or window so passersby can see it, since the goal is to publicize the miracle. In addition, many cities and synagogues hold public menorah lightings during the week.

Can you use an electric menorah?

An electric menorah works well as a decoration, for example in an office or a dorm room where open flames are not allowed. However, Chabad.org notes that electric lights do not fulfill the commandment, so traditional families use oil or wax candles at home.

Hanukkah traditions and foods

Beyond the menorah, most Hanukkah traditions center on fried food, games and small gifts. Here are the customs you will see most often during Hanukkah 2026, based on Chabad.org and My Jewish Learning.

Tradition	What it is	Why it matters
Latkes	Fried potato pancakes, often served with applesauce or sour cream	Frying in oil recalls the oil miracle
Sufganiyot	Jelly-filled doughnuts, a favorite in Israel	Another oil-fried treat
Dreidel	A four-sided spinning top used in a game for coins, nuts or candy	Its letters mean “a great miracle happened there”
Gelt	Money or foil-wrapped chocolate coins given to children	Rewards learning and encourages giving to charity
Prayers	Hallel and Al HaNissim are added to daily prayers	They give thanks for the miracles
Gifts	Small presents, sometimes one per night	A newer custom shaped by Christmas

How do you play dreidel?

Each player starts with an equal pile of coins, nuts or candy and puts one into the pot. Then players take turns spinning, and the letter that lands face up decides the move, per Chabad.org:

• Nun: nothing happens, and the next player spins.
• Gimmel: take the whole pot, then everyone adds one again.
• Hey: take half the pot, leaving any odd piece in it.
• Shin: put one piece into the pot.

In Israel, dreidels swap the shin for a pey, so the phrase becomes “a great miracle happened here.”

Why do Jewish families give gifts on Hanukkah?

Gift giving began with small sums of money for children, sometimes along with nuts and raisins in Europe. Over time, however, the holiday became the main gift-giving time of the Jewish year in the West, largely because it falls so close to Christmas, according to My Jewish Learning.

What do you say on Hanukkah?

The simplest greeting is “Happy Hanukkah,” and it is always appropriate, whether or not you are Jewish. If you want to try a Hebrew phrase, these are the common choices:

Greeting	Language	Meaning
Happy Hanukkah	English	The everyday greeting
Chanukah Sameach	Hebrew	Happy Hanukkah
Chag Sameach	Hebrew	Happy holiday, used for most Jewish holidays
Chag Urim Sameach	Hebrew	Happy Festival of Lights

According to the Jewish Language Project, “Chag Urim Sameach” is used mainly in North America. Similarly, for card and text ideas for the wider season, see our holiday wishes and messages guide.

Do Hanukkah and Christmas overlap in 2026?

No. Hanukkah 2026 ends at nightfall on December 12, almost two weeks before Christmas Day on Friday, December 25. So families who celebrate both holidays will have two separate stretches of celebration this year.

Because the dates are early, Hanukkah gifts need to arrive sooner than Christmas presents. For instance, if you plan one gift per night, order early enough that the first one is ready by Friday, December 4. Our Christmas 2026 guide covers the rest of the December calendar.

The overlap returns soon, though. In 2027, the first candle falls on Christmas Eve, December 24, and the second on Christmas night. Then, in 2030, the fifth and sixth candles land on December 24 and 25.

Hanukkah dates 2026 to 2031

Planning ahead? These are the Hanukkah dates for the next six years, from Hebcal. In each case, the holiday begins at sundown on the first date and ends at nightfall on the last.

Year	First candle (evening)	Eighth candle (evening)	Holiday ends (nightfall)	Overlaps Christmas?
2026	Friday, Dec. 4	Friday, Dec. 11	Saturday, Dec. 12	No
2027	Friday, Dec. 24	Friday, Dec. 31	Saturday, Jan. 1, 2028	Yes
2028	Tuesday, Dec. 12	Tuesday, Dec. 19	Wednesday, Dec. 20	No
2029	Saturday, Dec. 1	Saturday, Dec. 8	Sunday, Dec. 9	No
2030	Friday, Dec. 20	Friday, Dec. 27	Saturday, Dec. 28	Yes
2031	Tuesday, Dec. 9	Tuesday, Dec. 16	Wednesday, Dec. 17	No

Notably, Hanukkah 2027 starts on Christmas Eve and finishes on New Year’s Day, so expect a busy holiday week that year.

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