Hanukkah 2026
📅 Friday, December 4, 2026
📝 About Hanukkah 2026
Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, is an eight-day Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. According to the Talmud, when the victorious Jews sought to relight the Temple's menorah, they found only enough consecrated oil for a single day, yet it miraculously burned for eight nights. Each evening of Hanukkah, families light one additional candle on the hanukkiah (a nine-branched candelabrum), recite blessings, and place it in a window to publicize the miracle. Traditional foods fried in oil, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), echo the significance of the oil. Children play dreidel, a spinning-top game, and receive chocolate coins called gelt or small gifts. Although considered a minor holiday in Jewish law, Hanukkah has become one of the most visible Jewish celebrations worldwide, observed by millions of Jewish families across Israel, North America, Europe, and beyond.
📋 Quick Facts
- Date
- Friday, December 4, 2026
- Day of the Week
- Friday
- Days Remaining
- 215
- Category
- Religious
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
There are 215 days until Hanukkah 2026 on Friday, December 4, 2026.
Hanukkah 2026 is on Friday, December 4, 2026.
Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, is an eight-day Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. According to the Talmud, when the victorious Jews sought to relight the Temple's menorah, they found only enough consecrated oil for a single day, yet it miraculously burned for eight nights. Each evening of Hanukkah, families light one additional candle on the hanukkiah (a nine-branched candelabrum), recite blessings, and place it in a window to publicize the miracle. Traditional foods fried in oil, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), echo the significance of the oil. Children play dreidel, a spinning-top game, and receive chocolate coins called gelt or small gifts. Although considered a minor holiday in Jewish law, Hanukkah has become one of the most visible Jewish celebrations worldwide, observed by millions of Jewish families across Israel, North America, Europe, and beyond.
Hanukkah 2026 falls on a Friday.