Evening of Friday 4 to Saturday 12 December 2026 · checked 25 Oct 2026
Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday 4 December and ends on Saturday 12 December. It is an eight-day Jewish festival of lights, and one more candle is lit each evening. If family is far away, you can still mark it: see who is lighting in your city, bring something sweet to share, or invite a few new friends over for a candle night.
A dated table, then practical ideas for the eight nights when you are alone or new in a city, and how to find people for an evening out. No specific 2026 event is listed here: public events are announced by each city’s community.
| Evening | Candles | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 4 Dec | 1 | First candle, lit before sundown because Shabbat begins that evening. |
| Sat 5 Dec | 2 | Lit after nightfall, once Shabbat has ended. |
| Sun 6 Dec | 3 | Lit at dusk. |
| Mon 7 Dec | 4 | Lit at dusk. |
| Tue 8 Dec | 5 | Lit at dusk. |
| Wed 9 Dec | 6 | Lit at dusk. |
| Thu 10 Dec | 7 | Lit at dusk. |
| Fri 11 Dec | 8 | Last candle, lit before sundown for Shabbat. |
| Sat 12 Dec | – | The eighth day of the festival. It ends at nightfall. |
Dates follow the Hebcal calendar (25 Kislev to 2 Tevet 5787). Candle-lighting times depend on your city, so check a local calendar or your community.
What we found
Practical and low pressure. Take what suits you, and none of it requires being religious.
You do not need a big plan. Pick one of the eight evenings, choose a place that is easy to talk in, and invite one or two people. Meet & Mint shows events and people near you on one map, so you can join something in your city alone, chat with the group beforehand and meet at the door. Come Alone lists evening events by city if you want a plan that is not about the festival too.
“Chag Hanukkah sameach” means “happy Hanukkah holiday”. For greetings in other languages see First Phrases.
Sources
Checked 25 Oct 2026. The dates come from the Hebcal calendar and its data feed, which agree. We list no specific 2026 event, address or time: public lightings and community events are announced by each local community, so check their pages. Chabad centres run many public lightings, but their directory could not be checked by our tools, so we do not link it.
How it works
Hanukkah 2026 starts at sundown on Friday 4 December and ends on Saturday 12 December 2026, according to the Hebcal calendar.
On the evening of Friday 4 December, before sundown because Shabbat begins that evening. One more candle is added each night.
Light a candle at home, eat latkes or sufganiyot, call family, look up a public lighting through your city’s Jewish community, or invite a few new friends for a short candle night.
Check the website or social pages of your city’s Jewish community, a local Chabad centre or a synagogue. They announce the dates and times. We do not list specific events here.
Many communities welcome visitors at public events. Check the organiser’s page, arrive a little early and ask a volunteer if you are not sure what to do.
Events by city · Answers: going out alone, per city · Advent weekend alone · Christmas markets 2026 · Diwali 2026, going alone · The Meet & Mint app
Meet & Mint
Meet & Mint shows events and people near you on one map. Join an event alone, chat with the group, meet at the door. Free on iPhone and Android.