65 days until Hanukkah 2026

About Hanukkah

Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, is the Jewish festival of lights. It recalls the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BCE, after the Maccabees led a successful revolt against the Seleucid rulers who had banned Jewish practice. According to the Talmud, the temple's menorah had only enough pure oil to burn for one day, yet it lasted eight, and the holiday's eight nights recall that story. The word Hanukkah means "dedication" in Hebrew.

The date follows the Hebrew calendar: Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev. Because Jewish days start at sundown, the first candle is lit on the evening before, which is the date shown on this page. The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, so on the Gregorian calendar Hanukkah moves around, starting anywhere from late November to late December.

Each night, families light one more candle on a hanukkiah, the nine-branched menorah, using a helper candle called the shamash, and many place it in a window. Foods fried in oil are traditional, especially latkes, or potato pancakes, and sufganiyot, jelly-filled doughnuts. Children play dreidel, a spinning-top game, often for chocolate coins called gelt, and many American families exchange gifts. In religious terms it is a minor festival, but it is widely celebrated, with public menorah lightings in many US cities.

How we check dates and facts: see our sources.

Hanukkah by year