# When is Hanukkah 2026?

> When is Hanukkah 2026? Countdown to the first candle, the eight nights, why the date moves, and WhatsApp reminders for candles, gifts and doughnuts.

Starts at sunset on Friday, December 4, 2026. Hanukkah begins at sunset before 25 Kislev and lasts eight nights. The first candle is lit the evening of 4 December 2026, 24 December 2027 and 12 December 2028.

Hanukkah is eight nights on the Hebrew calendar, so its Gregorian dates swing from late November to late December. In 2027 it starts on Christmas Eve, which catches many families out.
The first candle is lit after sunset on the evening shown. What runs out is the same every year: candles by night five, and the gift for night one bought on night one.

## The next few years

- 2026: Friday, December 4, 2026
- 2027: Friday, December 24, 2027
- 2028: Tuesday, December 12, 2028

## Get a nudge before it

Each button opens WhatsApp with one message already typed for Poko, dated for this year. Press Send and it arrives when it's due.

- `Remind me on December 1 at 6pm to buy Hanukkah candles`
- `Remind me on December 3 at 10am to buy the doughnuts and the kids' Hanukkah gifts`
- `Remind me on December 4 at 4pm to light the first Hanukkah candle`

## Questions, answered

**When is the first candle lit?** After sunset on the evening shown on this page, the night before 25 Kislev.

**Why does the date change?** The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, so fixed Hebrew dates move against the Gregorian calendar by up to a month.

**Is Hanukkah a day off?** Not a work holiday. In Israel schools close for most of the eight days.

**How do the reminders work?** Each Remind me button opens WhatsApp with one message already typed for Poko, dated for this year's occurrence. You press Send, Poko confirms the date, and the message arrives on WhatsApp when it is due. Nothing is sent by this page.

## Try it

Open WhatsApp and [message Pokobot](https://wa.me/919407606251?text=Remind%20me%20to%20drink%20water%20in%202%20minutes). The first message can be a real reminder:

- `Remind me to drink water in 2 minutes`

First 7 days free. No app, no account, no card.