# When is Hanukkah?

*The eight-day festival starts on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev, so its dates on the civil calendar change every year, and in 2027 it begins on December 24.*

- Type: Explainer
- Section: Culture
- By: Culture Desk
- Published: 2026-11-12T01:53:33-05:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T01:53:33-05:00
- URL: https://factsdesk.com/culture/when-is-hanukkah/

## Key facts

- Hanukkah 2026 starts at nightfall on December 4, 2026, and ends with nightfall on December 12, 2026, according to Chabad.org. Source: [Chabad.org](https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/671899/jewish/When-Is-Hanukkah.htm). Confirmed 2026-11-12T01:53:33-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/when-is-hanukkah/#hanukkah-2026-starts-at-nightfall-on-december-4-2026-and
- The Union for Reform Judaism lists Hanukkah 2026 as starting on Friday, December 4, and running through December 12. Source: [Union for Reform Judaism](https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/hanukkah). Confirmed 2026-11-12T01:53:33-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/when-is-hanukkah/#the-union-for-reform-judaism-lists-hanukkah-2026-as-starting
- Hanukkah lasts for eight days and begins on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev. Source: [Chabad.org](https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/671899/jewish/When-Is-Hanukkah.htm). Confirmed 2026-11-12T01:53:33-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/when-is-hanukkah/#hanukkah-lasts-for-eight-days-and-begins-on-the-hebrew
- Hanukkah 2027 runs from December 24, 2027, to January 1, 2028. Source: [Chabad.org](https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/671899/jewish/When-Is-Hanukkah.htm). Confirmed 2026-11-12T01:53:33-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/culture/when-is-hanukkah/#hanukkah-2027-runs-from-december-24-2027-to-january-1-2028

Hanukkah 2026 [starts at nightfall on December 4, 2026, and ends with nightfall on December 12, 2026](https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/671899/jewish/When-Is-Hanukkah.htm), according to Chabad.org. The Union for Reform Judaism lists December 4 to December 12 for 2026 and [says](https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/hanukkah) the holiday starts on Friday, December 4.

## Hanukkah dates for the next five years

These are the dates [published by Chabad.org](https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/671899/jewish/When-Is-Hanukkah.htm). The Union for Reform Judaism [lists](https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/hanukkah) the same dates for 2026, 2027 and 2028.

| Year | Begins | Ends |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 | December 4 | December 12 |
| 2027 | December 24 | January 1, 2028 |
| 2028 | December 12 | December 20 |
| 2029 | December 1 | December 9 |
| 2030 | December 20 | December 28 |

In 2027 the holiday begins on December 24, the day before [Christmas Day](/culture/what-day-is-christmas-this-year/). In 2026 the holiday starts eight days after [Thanksgiving](/culture/when-is-thanksgiving-2026/).

## Why the date changes every year

Hanukkah lasts for eight days and begins [on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev](https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/671899/jewish/When-Is-Hanukkah.htm), and that date lands on a different day of the civil calendar from one year to the next, as the table above shows.

## What Hanukkah marks

The Union for Reform Judaism [describes](https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/hanukkah) Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, as an eight-day festival often called the Festival of Lights. The name means "dedication" in Hebrew, and the holiday commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian army in 165 B.C.E. Celebrations today center on lighting the Hanukkah menorah.

This page will be updated at this address each year with the new dates.

## Sources

1. [When Is Hanukkah (Chanukah) Celebrated in 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030?](https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/671899/jewish/When-Is-Hanukkah.htm), Chabad.org, 2026-11-12 (primary source)
2. [Hanukkah](https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/hanukkah), Union for Reform Judaism, 2026-11-12 (primary source)
3. [Chanukah 2026](https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah-2026), Hebcal, 2026-11-12