Hanukkah 2027: Dates and Candle-Lighting Nights
Hanukkah 2027 begins at sundown on Friday 24 December 2027, when the first candle is lit, and ends at nightfall on Saturday 1 January 2028.
Last updated: 8 November 2026
First Hanukkah candle 2027
Hanukkah 2027 is one of those years when the Jewish festival of lights overlaps almost exactly with Christmas and New Year — the first candle is lit on Christmas Eve.
The eight nights of Hanukkah 2027
| Night | Candles lit on the evening of | Candles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday 24 December 2027 (before Shabbat) | 1 |
| 2 | Saturday 25 December (after Shabbat ends) | 2 |
| 3 | Sunday 26 December | 3 |
| 4 | Monday 27 December | 4 |
| 5 | Tuesday 28 December | 5 |
| 6 | Wednesday 29 December | 6 |
| 7 | Thursday 30 December | 7 |
| 8 | Friday 31 December (before Shabbat) | 8 |
The shamash, the "helper" candle used to light the others, is added each night, so the menorah has nine branches. On Friday evenings the Hanukkah candles are lit before the Shabbat candles; on Saturday they are lit after Shabbat ends at nightfall.
Hanukkah dates 2025–2030
| Year | First candle | Last day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sunday 14 December 2025 (evening) | Monday 22 December 2025 |
| 2026 | Friday 4 December 2026 (evening) | Saturday 12 December 2026 |
| 2027 | Friday 24 December 2027 (evening) | Saturday 1 January 2028 |
| 2028 | Tuesday 12 December 2028 (evening) | Wednesday 20 December 2028 |
| 2029 | Saturday 1 December 2029 (evening) | Sunday 9 December 2029 |
| 2030 | Friday 20 December 2030 (evening) | Saturday 28 December 2030 |
The table shows the evening of the first candle. The first full day of Hanukkah is the following day, 25 Kislev in the Hebrew calendar.
Why Hanukkah moves around December
Hanukkah always begins on 25 Kislev. The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar: months follow the moon, and a leap month (Adar I) is added seven times in every 19 years to stay in step with the seasons. So 25 Kislev drifts against the Gregorian calendar, landing anywhere from late November to late December. In 2027 it comes late; in 2029 it starts on 1 December.
What Hanukkah celebrates
Hanukkah ("dedication") recalls the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE, after the Maccabees' revolt. According to tradition, a single jar of oil that should have lasted one day burned for eight. That is why the festival is eight nights long and why fried foods are eaten: potato latkes in Ashkenazi tradition, and jam-filled doughnuts (sufganiyot) especially in Israel. Children play dreidel, a spinning-top game, and receive small gifts or coins (gelt).
Hanukkah is a minor festival in religious terms. Work is allowed, schools in Israel have a winter break, and in most countries it is not a public holiday.
Lighting the menorah: the basics
Candles are placed in the menorah from right to left, and lit from left to right, starting with the newest candle. Traditionally the menorah is set in a window or by the door so it can be seen from outside, to "publicise the miracle". The candles should burn for at least half an hour after nightfall, and many families sing the hymn Maoz Tzur after the blessings. Oil lamps are used by some families instead of wax candles, in keeping with the story of the oil.
Hanukkah 2027 and holiday travel
Because Hanukkah overlaps the Christmas and New Year holidays in 2027, travel demand in late December will be high in both Israel and North America. Public menorah lightings are held in many city squares, from New York's Fifth Avenue to Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. If you are travelling, pack a travel menorah (many hotels do not allow open flames in rooms) or join a public lighting.
Frequently asked questions
- When does Hanukkah 2027 start?
- At sundown on Friday 24 December 2027.
- When does Hanukkah 2027 end?
- At nightfall on Saturday 1 January 2028, after eight nights.
- Why does Hanukkah fall on different dates each year?
- It begins on 25 Kislev in the lunisolar Hebrew calendar, which moves against the Gregorian calendar.
- When is Hanukkah 2028?
- It begins at sundown on Tuesday 12 December 2028.
Sources: Hebcal – Hanukkah dates · Chabad.org – Chanukah · Wikipedia – Hanukkah