Days until Hanukkah
Hanukkah 2026 starts on Saturday, December 5, 2026. The count starts from today’s date; pick another date to count from it instead.
- Days until Hanukkah
- 66
From September 30, 2026, there are 66 days until Hanukkah on Saturday, December 5, 2026.
- Date
- Saturday, December 5, 2026
- Day of the week
- Saturday
- In weeks
- 9 weeks and 3 days
Answer for the example date Wednesday, September 30, 2026. It changes to today's date when the page loads.
Days until Hanukkah: 66. From September 30, 2026, there are 66 days until Hanukkah on Saturday, December 5, 2026.
Where is Hanukkah on the calendar?
How to calculate
Counts the days from today, or any date you choose, to the next Hanukkah, with its date and day of the week.
Example with the default inputs (Count from September 30, 2026) on the example date Wednesday, September 30, 2026: From September 30, 2026, there are 66 days until Hanukkah on Saturday, December 5, 2026.
Method: Find the first date of Hanukkah on or after the start date, then count the days from the start date to it.
- Hanukkah starts on 25 Kislev of the Hebrew calendar and lasts eight days. Hebrew days begin at sunset, so the first candle is lit on the evening before.
- Start dates from January 1, 1900 to December 31, 2400 work, because the Hebrew calendar is a fixed arithmetic rule.
- The start date itself is not counted: from the day before, the count is 1; on the day itself, it is 0.
- Dates are calendar days with no time of day, so a time zone or a daylight-saving change never adds or loses a day.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Count from 2021-11-30 gives Date 2022-12-19, Days until Hanukkah 384.Source: Hebcal Chanukah dates (https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah)
- Count from 2022-12-20 gives Date 2023-12-08, Days until Hanukkah 353.Source: Hebcal Chanukah dates (https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah)
- Count from 2023-12-09 gives Date 2024-12-26, Days until Hanukkah 383.Source: Hebcal Chanukah dates (https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah)
- Count from 2024-12-27 gives Date 2025-12-15, Days until Hanukkah 353.Source: Hebcal Chanukah dates (https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah)
- Count from 2025-12-16 gives Date 2026-12-05, Days until Hanukkah 354.Source: Hebcal Chanukah dates (https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah)
- Count from 2026-12-06 gives Date 2027-12-25, Days until Hanukkah 384.Source: Hebcal Chanukah dates (https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah)
- Count from 2027-12-26 gives Date 2028-12-13, Days until Hanukkah 353.Source: Hebcal Chanukah dates (https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah)
- Count from 2028-12-14 gives Date 2029-12-02, Days until Hanukkah 353.Source: Hebcal Chanukah dates (https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah)
- Count from 2029-12-03 gives Date 2030-12-21, Days until Hanukkah 383.Source: Hebcal Chanukah dates (https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah)
- Count from 2030-12-22 gives Date 2031-12-10, Days until Hanukkah 353.Source: Hebcal Chanukah dates (https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah)
Other questions people ask
When does Hanukkah 2026 start?
Hanukkah 2026 starts on Saturday, December 5, 2026.
When does Hanukkah 2027 start?
Hanukkah 2027 starts on Saturday, December 25, 2027.
When is the first candle of Hanukkah 2026 lit?
On the evening of Friday, December 4, 2026, after sunset, because Hebrew days begin at sunset. The first full day of Hanukkah is Saturday, December 5, 2026.
When does Hanukkah 2026 end?
Hanukkah lasts eight days, so its last day is Saturday, December 12, 2026; the eighth candle is lit on the evening before.
How is the date of Hanukkah set?
Hanukkah starts on 25 Kislev of the Hebrew calendar and lasts eight days. Hebrew days begin at sunset, so the first candle is lit on the evening before. Source: Hebcal Chanukah dates (https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah).
How are the days until Hanukkah counted?
From the start date (today, unless you change it) to the date, without counting the start date. The day before, the count is 1; on the day itself, it is 0; the day after, the count moves on to the next Hanukkah.