When Does Hanukkah Start and More Facts about Chanukah
When is Hanukkah? In 2024, this eight-day “festival of lights” begins on Wednesday, December 25, at sundown. Learn all about Hanukkah dates, customs such as the nightly menorah lighting, and special foods.
What Is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah (also spelled “Chanukah”) is an eight-day winter “festival of lights,” which begins each year on the 25th day of the Jewish calendar month of Kislev.
Because the Hebrew calendar is based on the lunar cycle, the dates of Jewish holidays according to the Gregorian calendar change yearly. For this reason, the beginning of Hanukkah can range from late November to late December.
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In short, Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after a group of Jewish warriors defeated the occupying Greek armies. The festival celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and spirituality over materiality. Read on to learn more about the history of Hanukkah.
When Is Hanukkah?
In 2024, Hanukkah begins at sundown on Wednesday, December 25, and continues through Thursday, January 2, 2025. The first candle is lit on the Chanukiah (menorah) on the first night of Hanukkah.
Note: Hanukkah begins and ends at sundown on the dates listed below. See Sunrise and Sunset Times for your area.
| Year | Hanukkah Begins | Hanukkah Ends |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Wednesday, December 25 | Thursday, January 2, 2025 |
| 2025 | Sunday, December 14 | Monday, December 22 |
| 2026 | Friday, December 4 | Saturday, December 12 |
| 2027 | Friday, December 24 | Saturday, January 1, 2028 |
A Short History of Hanukkah
This festival commemorates events in Judea more than 2,000 years ago when the Syrian king Antiochus ordered the Jews to abandon the Torah and publicly worship the Greek gods.
This act provoked a rebellion led by Judas Maccabeus, climaxed by the retaking of the Temple in Jerusalem, which the Syrians had desecrated. The army of Jews won despite their small numbers.
In an eight-day celebration, the “Maccabees” (as the rebels came to be known) cleansed and rededicated the Temple.
According to the Talmud, there was only enough consecrated oil to re-light the candelabra for one day, yet, miraculously, it remained lit for eight days.
What Does the Word “Chanukah” (or “Hanukkah”) Mean?
The word chanukah means “inauguration” or “dedication.” After the rebellion, the Temple was in ruin, including the altar. The Maccabees buried the stones of the altar and built a new one. Thus, Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple and the altar.
How do you pronounce “Hanukkah”? The Hebrew word is actually pronounced with a guttural “kh” sound: kha-nu-kah, not tcha-new-kah.
How Hanukkah is Celebrated
The central feature of the observance is the nightly lighting of the Chanukiah or menorah, an eight-branched candelabra with a place for a ninth candle, the shammes, used to light the others.
One candle is lit on the first night of Hanukkah, and an additional candle is lit on each successive night until, on the eighth night, the Chanukiah is fully illuminated.
Hanukkah is also called the Feast of Lights or Festival of Lights due to the importance of the candle-lighting.
Photo Credit: GreenArt/Shutterstock
Hanukkah Recipes to Try
Traditional Hanukkah recipes include foods fried in oil to commemorate the original miracle of the oil. Dairy products are also popular during Hanukkah.
Some of the most popular foods include latkes (fried potato pancakes), applesauce, sufganiyot (deep-fried or jelly doughnuts), and rugelach pastries.
Many Hanukkah meals are eaten communally to bring friends and family together, especially if they need to reconcile.
Photo by Adiel lo/Wikimedia Commons.
Hanukkah Customs
Consumer gifts are not a custom; the menorah’s candles are meant to recall the miracle—and focus on this religious purpose. Traditionally, money was given to charity, with more each day as the candles were lit. This originated with the need for even the poor to have money for candles so they could go door-to-door without any shame.
It is also customary on Hanukkah to give money (called Hanukkah gelt) to children and to play games with the dreidel—a four-sided spinning top. The Hebrew letters printed on the sides of a dreidel are an acronym for the phrase Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, “a great miracle happened there”—a reference to the oil miracle.
Do you celebrate Hanukkah? If you do, please share your family’s traditions below!
Learn More
Learn about other significant Jewish holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover.
Catherine Boeckmann
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I am excited to celebrate this year as this will be something my daughter and I want to teach her children. I long stopped celebrating Christmas because of its roots in pagan worship and isn't, honestly, the birth date of Yashua. Christmas is not even a considered a Holy Day/Feast/Festival day mentioned in the word. Decorating a tree with silver and gold is, but it points to how the pagan worshippers did that. We live in an age where all of this is common knowledge and we are without excuse anymore. I am super excited to honor all of the Holy days that truly honor Him and are not tied to paganism. I hope this helps the world to know that even if you are NOT Jewish and call yourself a true worshipper, these days are beyond "Jewish holidays", they are for everyone who worships the true Creator. Remember the word? Even yhe stranger who chooses this path should honor the way. Shalom!❤️
The picture shows six candles. It should show eight candles. The difference is very important.
The picture you might be looking at is for kwansa
I see 4 on each side of the center candle ... total of 9.
Eight candles: one for each night plus the Shamash that is used to light them with. ;
Huh? I see 8 candles......
NO IT SHOWS 8.
Thank you, Dennis!
I'm "Native American', I had the pleasure to host a Jewish family during COVID..I want to learn more.
My Father was a 1st Generation American Rabbi who grew-up in a Christian Orphanage. As I grew-up he emphasized the "Struggle" of the people to retain their Jewish faith in the face of overwhelming odds, just as he had done in the orphanage. He often recounted the day when he was accepted into college. While still in the orphanage he celebrated Chanukah even though it was not the right time of the year. He celebrated because this was the time of his personal re-dedication of his own Temple. My wife & I are both Born Again Jews who continue to celebrate the Jewish Holy Days as well as the Christian days of faith. This time of year takes on a special meaning to us similar to my Father's as we re-dedicate ourselves to G_D for HIS use & glory just before we celebrate the birth of HIS Firstborn of MANY Brethren.
