Countdown
How many days until Hanukkah?
🕎 Friday, December 4, 2026
124 days until Hanukkah
About Hanukkah
Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, is an eight-day Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem following a successful revolt, and the accompanying story of a small amount of ritual oil lasting far longer than expected. Its start date shifts on the Gregorian calendar each year because it is set according to the Hebrew calendar, a lunisolar system, beginning on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. Unlike the purely lunar Islamic calendar, the Hebrew calendar periodically inserts an extra leap month to keep its months roughly aligned with the solar year, which is why Hanukkah's Gregorian date drifts within a range, typically falling somewhere between late November and late December, rather than cycling through every season the way purely lunar calendars do. The central custom of the holiday is the nightly lighting of a nine-branched candelabrum called a menorah or hanukkiah, adding one additional candle each night until all eight, plus the helper candle, are lit on the final night. Other traditions associated with the holiday include eating foods fried in oil, such as latkes and doughnuts, playing a spinning-top game called dreidel, and, in many households, the exchange of gifts, a custom that has grown especially prominent in countries where Hanukkah coincides with the broader Christmas season. A common misconception is that Hanukkah is a major holiday on the same level of religious significance as Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur within Judaism; in fact, it is considered a relatively minor festival in traditional religious terms, and its prominence in popular culture, particularly in North America, owes much to its calendar proximity to Christmas rather than to a comparably high religious status.
Quick facts
- Despite its high visibility in popular culture, Hanukkah is considered a relatively minor holiday in traditional Jewish religious observance compared to occasions like Yom Kippur.
- The holiday's prominence in North America is often attributed in part to its calendar proximity to Christmas rather than to an equivalent religious status.
- The nightly menorah lighting adds one candle each night, using a helper candle called the shamash to light the others, until all eight main candles are lit on the final night.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does Hanukkah fall on a different date each year?
- It begins on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, and because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, that date shifts within a range on the Gregorian calendar each year.
- Is Hanukkah a major Jewish holiday?
- It is widely celebrated, but in traditional religious terms it is considered relatively minor compared to holidays such as Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah.
- How many days until Hanukkah?
- Check the countdown above for the exact number of days remaining until the next Hanukkah begins.
Upcoming Hanukkah dates
- Fri, Dec 4, 2026 (next)
- Fri, Dec 24, 2027
- Tue, Dec 12, 2028
- Sat, Dec 1, 2029
Dates on this page are checked against public calendar sources. Spot something wrong? Let us know.