When does Hanukkah start?

Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, begins at sunset on 25 Kislev — the evening of 4 December in 2026 — counted to that evening in your local time zone.

The date follows the Hebrew calendar and moves each year. 2026: begins at sunset on Friday 4 December. The countdown uses 17:00 in your selected time zone as an approximate evening reference, not an exact sunset calculation; actual sunset depends on your location.

Target date: Fri, 04 Dec 2026 17:00:00 GMT

This countdown is calculated in your own local timezone.

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Sources and transparency

  • Data sources and methodology