When is Hanukkah 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and Beyond?

Chanukah or Hanukkah is the festival of lights and always begins on 25 Kislev and ends on 2 or 3 Tevet. For those of us who don't use the Hebrew calendar, below are a list of dates for 2011-2025. Just remember that--as with all Jewish holidays--it begins at sundown on the date listed and ends at sundown the following day.

December 20, 2011

December 8, 2012

November 27, 2013

December 16, 2014

December 6, 2015

December 24, 2016

December, 12, 2017

December 2, 2018

December 22, 2019

December 10, 2020

November 28, 2021

December 18, 2022

December 7, 2023

December 25, 2024

December 14, 2025

Unlike other more holy or somber Jewish holidays, Chanukah is a joyous, beautiful celebration that children especially enjoy. Marked by lighting candles, giving & receiving gifts, and eating fried food, dairy & chocolate coins (gelt), its easily the most fun Jewish holiday.

A celebration of the miracle during the re-dedication of the second temple around 165 BC. After the Syrians had defiled the temple for years, sacrificing pigs and forbidding circumcision. Judah Maccabee (Judah the Hammer) led the revolt to reclaim Jerusalem and upon winning, cleansed the temple. Sacred olive oil which took eight days to manufacture was used to light the menorah, but there was only enough for one night. G-d kept the menorah burning for the entire eight nights, until more oil could be made and we celebrate Chanukah every year to commemorate this miracle.

Each night for eight nights, Chanukah is celebrated by lighting the Menorah which typically has a place for nine candles-one for each night & the shamash which is used to light the rest. Each night one additional candle is lit than the day before. So the first night, two candles total are lit, the second night three and so on until the last night when all nine candles shine brightly. The shamash is typically set apart from the rest of the Chanukah candles, either higher or offside to separate it from them. The Chanukah candles are traditionally not to be used for anything but celebrating and telling others of the miracle, so another candle is needed for light and to light the rest. The menorah is typically set close to a window so passerbys can see and celebrate.

Families often exchange gifts each night and play with dreidels. Dreidels are spinning tops with Hebrew letters on the side, which signify the phrase "Nes Gadol Haya Shem" meaning "A great miracle happened there." On Dreidels sold in Israel, the fourth letter represents "Po" which means "here" rather than "there." Fried food is traditional to celebrate the miracle of the oil and can include such delights as Latkes (potato pancakes) and donuts.

May your family enjoy the celebration of Chanukah for many years to come.