Hanukkah Countdown 2026

Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, 2026, when the first candle is lit. Watch the live countdown below, put it on the big screen, or make a countdown image to share. Free, no sign-up.

Countdown to
Hanukkah
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Hanukkah begins at sundown. The countdown runs to the start of that day, so on the day itself it says the first candle is tonight.

Sleeps counts the nights left, the way kids count down to Christmas.

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The Dates

When is Hanukkah?

Hanukkah starts on the 25th of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, so its date moves on the regular calendar every year. It lasts eight nights, with one more candle each night.

YearDateGood to know
2026Friday, December 4, 2026, at sundownEighth candle Friday, December 11
2027Friday, December 24, 2027, at sundownEighth candle Friday, December 31
2028Tuesday, December 12, 2028, at sundownEighth candle Tuesday, December 19

Dates from hebcal.com. Candle lighting times depend on where you live, so check a local calendar for the exact time.

How It Works

A live clock, a full screen and an image

1

Watch it count down

The clock at the top ticks every second in your own time zone and counts to midnight at the start of the day.

2

Put it on the big screen

Press Full screen to turn the clock into a display for a classroom, an office TV or a party. Press Esc to leave.

3

Share today's number

Pick a theme and a size, add a line of your own, and download a PNG for a post or a story. Make a fresh one each day.

Ideas

Ways to use a countdown

Count down with the kids

Make a countdown image each morning so everyone knows how many sleeps are left until the first candle.

The school or community screen

Put the clock in full screen at the community center, the Hebrew school or the office in the days before.

Invite the family

Post a countdown image with the time of your candle lighting as the extra line, so the family knows when to arrive.

Holiday offers

Count down to your Hanukkah sale or event on your website with the free Countdown widget.

FAQ

The live countdown at the top of this page shows the days, hours, minutes and seconds until Friday, December 4, 2026, the day Hanukkah begins at sundown. It counts to the start of that day in your own time zone.
Days in the Hebrew calendar begin at sunset, so every Jewish holiday starts the evening before its first full day. The first Hanukkah candle is lit after sundown on the first evening.
Yes. The clock runs in your browser and counts to midnight at the start of the day where you are, so it is right wherever you open it.
Yes. Press Full screen under the clock and it fills the whole display, which works well for a classroom, an office screen or a party. Press Esc to leave full screen. Some phones, including iPhones, do not allow full screen in the browser.
Yes, completely free. No account, no sign-up and no credit card. The downloaded image carries a small commoninja.com credit at the bottom, and a free account removes it.
Yes. The free Countdown widget from Common Ninja adds a live countdown timer to any website, for a holiday sale, a launch or an event, with no code. It updates by itself, so you never have to change an image.

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