A practical eight-night plan for Hanukkah 2026

Put the evenings on the calendar

Hanukkah 2026 runs from sundown December 4 to nightfall December 12. These are the lighting evenings, with the number of festival lights excluding the shamash:

• Friday, December 4: first night, 1 light; before Shabbat.
• Saturday, December 5: second night, 2 lights; after Shabbat.
• Sunday, December 6: third night, 3 lights.
• Monday, December 7: fourth night, 4 lights.
• Tuesday, December 8: fifth night, 5 lights.
• Wednesday, December 9: sixth night, 6 lights.
• Thursday, December 10: seventh night, 7 lights.
• Friday, December 11: eighth night, 8 lights; before Shabbat.

The festival continues through Saturday, December 12, but there is no ninth Hanukkah lighting that evening.

Check local times before sending an invitation

On Fridays, Hanukkah lights are kindled before Shabbat candles and before sunset. Saturday lighting waits until Shabbat has ended. Other evenings also have differences in community practice. Chabad explains these lighting requirements, including the need for Friday lights to last through the required period after nightfall.

Use your synagogue or rabbi's local times and guidance. Some general guides show examples from a different year; use the 2026 dates above when planning. Ask your host before setting an arrival time, and allow time for the household's blessings and customs.

Choose one evening to host

You do not need eight elaborate events. Pick one evening for a meal or dreidel game, then leave the others flexible. Ask about dietary requirements, including any kosher needs, before choosing food or bringing a dish into someone else's home.

Write a short invitation with the civil date, arrival time and what guests can expect. A useful sequence is arrival, the household's observance, food and an optional activity. On a Friday, work backward from the local pre-Shabbat lighting time rather than from dinner.

Make room for different ages

Prepare a game area away from the lighting space and a quiet place to sit. Invite children to choose a song or draw something they want to remember. Adults who are new to the holiday can ask questions without being expected to lead a ritual. If you are attending as a guest, follow the host's lead about photographs and participation.

Keep one page of notes afterward: the arrival time that worked, the dishes people enjoyed and the activity worth repeating. Let next year's civil dates be a fresh calendar check.