Hanukkah 2027
Holiday days: Sat, Dec 25 to Sat, Jan 1, 2028; Hebrew date 25 Kislev-2/3 Tevet 5788. Ends on Saturday, January 1, 2028.
What is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, lasts eight nights from 25 Kislev. In 2027 the first candle is lit at sundown on Friday, December 24, 2027, which is also Christmas Eve, and the first day of Hanukkah is Christmas Day. The eighth candle is lit on Friday, December 31, New Year's Eve, and the holiday ends on Saturday, January 1, 2028.
Hanukkah remembers the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BCE and the story of one day's oil that burned for eight. It is a minor holiday in religious law: work and school go on as usual. Its place in December has made it one of the best known Jewish holidays in the United States.
Hanukkah 2027 candle-lighting nights
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Fri, Dec 24, 2027 | Night 1: 1 candle + shamashChristmas Eve. Friday: light before the Shabbat candles. |
| Sat, Dec 25, 2027 | Night 2: 2 candles + shamashSaturday: light after Shabbat ends. |
| Sun, Dec 26, 2027 | Night 3: 3 candles + shamash |
| Mon, Dec 27, 2027 | Night 4: 4 candles + shamash |
| Tue, Dec 28, 2027 | Night 5: 5 candles + shamash |
| Wed, Dec 29, 2027 | Night 6: 6 candles + shamash |
| Thu, Dec 30, 2027 | Night 7: 7 candles + shamash |
| Fri, Dec 31, 2027 | Night 8: 8 candles + shamashNew Year's Eve. Friday: light before the Shabbat candles. |
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How it is celebrated
Each night one more candle is lit in a menorah (hanukkiah), from one on the first night to eight on the last, plus the helper candle, the shamash. On Friday the Hanukkah candles are lit before the Shabbat candles, before sundown; on Saturday night, after Shabbat ends. Families eat foods fried in oil, such as latkes and doughnuts, play dreidel and give small gifts or coins.
Hanukkah dates, 2026 to 2032
| Year | Begins at sundown | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fri, Dec 4 | Sat, Dec 5 to Sat, Dec 12, 2026 |
| 2027 | Fri, Dec 24 | Sat, Dec 25 to Sat, Jan 1, 2028 |
| 2028 | Tue, Dec 12 | Wed, Dec 13 to Wed, Dec 20, 2028 |
| 2029 | Sat, Dec 1 | Sun, Dec 2 to Sun, Dec 9, 2029 |
| 2030 | Fri, Dec 20 | Sat, Dec 21 to Sat, Dec 28, 2030 |
| 2031 | Tue, Dec 9 | Wed, Dec 10 to Wed, Dec 17, 2031 |
| 2032 | Sat, Nov 27 | Sun, Nov 28 to Sun, Dec 5, 2032 |
Outside Israel. Calculated from the Hebrew calendar rules and checked against a published Jewish calendar for 2026 to 2028.
Other Jewish holidays in 2027
Purim: Tue, Mar 23; Passover (Pesach): Thu, Apr 22; Shavuot: Fri, Jun 11; Rosh Hashanah: Sat, Oct 2; Yom Kippur: Mon, Oct 11; Sukkot: Sat, Oct 16. The full list, with the minor holidays, is on Jewish holidays 2027. Dates are for communities outside Israel; times of sundown and nightfall depend on your city.
Questions and answers
Does Hanukkah fall on Christmas in 2027?
Yes. The first candle is lit on Christmas Eve, Friday, December 24, and the first full day of Hanukkah is Christmas Day, Saturday, December 25. Hanukkah last began on Christmas Eve in 2016; in 2024 it began on the evening of Christmas Day.
How many candles do you light on the first night?
One candle plus the shamash, the helper candle used to light the others. On the eighth night, December 31, 2027, all eight are lit.
Why is Hanukkah on different dates every year?
It always starts on 25 Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, which follows the moon. Against the Gregorian calendar it can begin anywhere from late November to late December. In 2026 it began on the evening of December 4.
When is Hanukkah 2028?
The first candle is lit at sundown on Tuesday, December 12, 2028.