🕎 Countdown to Hanukkah 2026

When Is Hanukkah 2026?

Hanukkah 2026 is on Friday, December 4, 2026. Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, is an eight-day celebration commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Traditions include lighting the menorah, playing dreidel, eating fried foods like latkes and sufganiyot, and exchanging gifts.

Hanukkah Dates for the Next 10 Years

About Hanukkah

Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, is an eight-day celebration commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Traditions include lighting the menorah, playing dreidel, eating fried foods like latkes and sufganiyot, and exchanging gifts.

History & Origins of Hanukkah

Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, is an eight-day Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE. After the Maccabean revolt successfully drove out the Seleucid Empire, the Jewish people sought to rededicate the Temple. According to the Talmud, they found only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the Temple's menorah for one day, yet miraculously, the oil burned for eight nights — giving rise to the eight-day celebration. Hanukkah typically falls in November or December on the Gregorian calendar, beginning on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar.

Traditions & How to Celebrate Hanukkah

• Lighting the menorah (hanukkiah), adding one candle each night for eight nights
• Playing the dreidel (spinning top) game with family
• Eating foods fried in oil, especially latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts)
• Exchanging gifts on each of the eight nights
• Giving gelt (chocolate coins or real money) to children
• Singing traditional Hanukkah songs like "Ma'oz Tzur" (Rock of Ages)
• Reciting special blessings and prayers each evening
• Placing the menorah in a window to publicize the miracle

Fun Facts About Hanukkah

Frequently Asked Questions

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