Countdown DayHanukkah · eight nights from 25 Kislev
How many days until Hanukkah?
Checked October 9, 2026 · first published
Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Fri, Dec 4, 2026, 56 days from today, when the first candle is lit. The first full day is Sat, Dec 5, 2026, 57 days away, and the eighth night is one week after the first.
8 weeks and 1 day · 8 weekends · 57 sleeps · 37 business days
On the way there
Dates you pass first
3daysColumbus DayMon, Oct 12, 2026
22daysHalloweenSat, Oct 31, 2026
33daysVeterans DayWed, Nov 11, 2026
41daysGTA VI releaseThu, Nov 19, 2026| Year | Date | Days away |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sat, Dec 5, 2026 | 57 |
| 2027 | Sat, Dec 25, 2027 | 442 |
| 2028 | Wed, Dec 13, 2028 | 796 |
| 2029 | Sun, Dec 2, 2029 | 1150 |
| 2030 | Sat, Dec 21, 2030 | 1534 |
Dates from the Hebcal Jewish calendar, checked against Google's Jewish holidays calendar: both list the same first day for 2026 to 2030.
When do you light the candles each night?
| Night | Evening of | Candles (plus the shamash) | Light in New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| Night 1 | Fri, Dec 4, 2026 | 1 | 4:10 p.m. (before Shabbat candles) |
| Night 2 | Sat, Dec 5, 2026 | 2 | 5:14 p.m. (after Shabbat ends) |
| Night 3 | Sun, Dec 6, 2026 | 3 | 4:52 p.m. |
| Night 4 | Mon, Dec 7, 2026 | 4 | 4:52 p.m. |
| Night 5 | Tue, Dec 8, 2026 | 5 | 4:52 p.m. |
| Night 6 | Wed, Dec 9, 2026 | 6 | 4:52 p.m. |
| Night 7 | Thu, Dec 10, 2026 | 7 | 4:52 p.m. |
| Night 8 | Fri, Dec 11, 2026 | 8 | 4:10 p.m. (before Shabbat candles) |
Hebcal gives nightfall on ordinary nights. On Friday the candles are lit before the Shabbat candles, 18 minutes before sunset; on Saturday after Shabbat ends. Local customs differ, so follow your community's own times.
What time is candle lighting in my city?
| City | Night 1, Fri, Dec 4 | Night 2, Sat, Dec 5 | Night 3, Sun, Dec 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | 4:10 p.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 4:52 p.m. |
| Los Angeles, CA | 4:25 p.m. | 5:24 p.m. | 5:03 p.m. |
| Chicago, IL | 4:01 p.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 4:44 p.m. |
| Houston, TX | 5:03 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 5:40 p.m. |
| Phoenix, AZ | 5:02 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 5:40 p.m. |
| Philadelphia, PA | 4:17 p.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 4:58 p.m. |
| San Antonio, TX | 5:17 p.m. | 6:13 p.m. | 5:53 p.m. |
| San Diego, CA | 4:24 p.m. | 5:22 p.m. | 5:02 p.m. |
| Dallas, TX | 5:02 p.m. | 6:01 p.m. | 5:40 p.m. |
| Seattle, WA | 4:00 p.m. | 5:10 p.m. | 4:47 p.m. |
| Denver, CO | 4:17 p.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 4:58 p.m. |
| Miami, FL | 5:11 p.m. | 6:07 p.m. | 5:46 p.m. |
Times from the Hebcal calendar API for each city's coordinates, read Fri, Oct 9, 2026. Nights 4 to 7 are within a minute of night 3 in every city; night 8 is a Friday again, like night 1.
When does Hanukkah start in 2026?
Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Fri, Dec 4, with the first candle. The first full day is Sat, Dec 5, and the last candles are lit on Fri, Dec 11. Because the first night is a Friday, the Hanukkah candles go on before the Shabbat candles that evening.
The live counter above runs to the first full day, Dec 5, the date most calendars print. The evening count in the answer box is one day shorter, and that is the number to watch if you want to know how many nights until the first candle.
How do the eight nights work?
One candle is added each night, lit from the shamash, the helper candle. So the first night uses two flames in all, and the eighth night uses nine. Across the whole festival that is 36 Hanukkah candles plus eight lightings of the shamash, which is why boxes of 44 candles are common.
Why are the Friday and Saturday times different?
On Friday, Shabbat begins at sunset, and lighting fire is avoided once it starts. So the Hanukkah candles are lit first, about 18 minutes before sunset in the Hebcal times. On Saturday the order flips: Shabbat ends after nightfall, and the Hanukkah candles follow. That makes Saturday the latest lighting of the week, near 5:14 p.m. in New York.
When is Hanukkah in 2027 and later?
In 2027 Hanukkah starts late, on the evening of Fri, Dec 24, so its first day is Christmas Day. In 2028 the first candle is on Tue, Dec 12; in 2029 on Sat, Dec 1; and in 2030 on Fri, Dec 20. The year table above keeps a live count for each.
Questions people ask
- Why does Hanukkah fall on different dates every year?
- Hanukkah starts on 25 Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, which follows the moon and adds a leap month seven times in 19 years. Against the civil calendar it moves by almost a month: the first day is Dec 5 in 2026 and Dec 25 in 2027.
- Do Hanukkah and Christmas overlap in 2027?
- Yes. In 2027 the first candle is lit on the evening of Fri, Dec 24, Christmas Eve, and the first full day of Hanukkah is Christmas Day, Sat, Dec 25. The eighth night falls on Fri, Dec 31, New Year's Eve.
- Is Hanukkah a federal holiday?
- No. It is not among the 11 federal holidays in 5 U.S.C. 6103, so it does not close federal offices, banks or markets by itself. In 2027 it overlaps the Christmas and New Year days off.
- How many days until the last night of Hanukkah?
- The eighth candle is lit one week after the first. In 2026 that is the evening of Fri, Dec 11, and Hanukkah ends at nightfall on Sat, Dec 12.
Related pages
Sources
- Hebcal: Jewish calendar REST API — hebcal.com
- Hebcal: Chanukah 2026 — hebcal.com
- Google Calendar: Jewish holidays (public iCal) — calendar.google.com
- 5 U.S.C. 6103 (Cornell LII) — law.cornell.edu
General date information from official calendars (OPM, USNO). It is not legal, tax or immigration advice; check the agency named on the page for your own deadline.