When Is Hanukkah? (Chanukah Countdown & Dates)

When is Hanukkah?

In the Hebrew calendar, Hanukkah begins at sundown on the 25th of Kislev and lasts for eight nights. Because the Jewish calendar is lunisolar, the dates shift in the Gregorian calendar each year, usually falling in late November or December.

How is the date determined?

Hanukkah starts on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the Jewish lunisolar calendar. Because the Jewish year is aligned with both the solar and lunar cycles, it is 11 days shorter than the standard 365-day solar year, causing the holiday to shift relative to the Gregorian calendar.

A brief history and background

The historical event behind Hanukkah is the successful rebellion of a small group of Jewish fighters, the Maccabees, against the Seleucid Empire which had desecrated the Second Temple. According to Jewish tradition, when they went to light the temple menorah, they found only enough kosher oil to burn for one day, but it miraculously lasted for eight days.

Is it a US federal holiday?

No, Hanukkah is not a federal holiday in the United States. Federal offices, banks, and post offices remain open, though it is celebrated and observed widely.

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