Hanukkah 2025 began at sundown on Sunday, December 14, 2025, and ended at nightfall on Monday, December 22, 2025.
Also spelled Chanukah, Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish festival of light, faith, resilience, and rededication. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of oil that, according to tradition, burned for eight days even though there was only enough for one. 🕯️
For many families, Hanukkah is celebrated with nightly menorah lighting, blessings, songs, games, gifts, fried foods, family gatherings, and warm wishes shared across generations.
When Was Hanukkah 2025?
Hanukkah 2025 started at sundown on:
Sunday, December 14, 2025
It ended at nightfall on:
Monday, December 22, 2025
The first full day of Hanukkah was:
Monday, December 15, 2025
Jewish holidays begin at sunset, which is why Hanukkah began on the evening before the first full calendar day.
Hanukkah 2025 Dates at a Glance 📅
| Event | 2025 Date |
|---|---|
| Hanukkah begins | Sundown, Sunday, December 14, 2025 |
| First full day | Monday, December 15, 2025 |
| First candle lit | Sunday evening, December 14, 2025 |
| Eighth candle lit | Sunday evening, December 21, 2025 |
| Hanukkah ends | Nightfall, Monday, December 22, 2025 |
Hanukkah 2025 Candle Lighting Schedule 🕎
A new candle is added each night of Hanukkah. The shamash, or helper candle, is used to light the others.
| Night | Date | Candles |
|---|---|---|
| 1st night | Sunday, December 14, 2025 | 1 candle plus shamash |
| 2nd night | Monday, December 15, 2025 | 2 candles plus shamash |
| 3rd night | Tuesday, December 16, 2025 | 3 candles plus shamash |
| 4th night | Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | 4 candles plus shamash |
| 5th night | Thursday, December 18, 2025 | 5 candles plus shamash |
| 6th night | Friday, December 19, 2025 | 6 candles plus shamash |
| 7th night | Saturday, December 20, 2025 | 7 candles plus shamash |
| 8th night | Sunday, December 21, 2025 | 8 candles plus shamash |
On Friday night, Hanukkah candles are traditionally lit before Shabbat candles.
What Is Hanukkah? 🌙
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees reclaimed it from Seleucid rule in the second century BCE.
According to Jewish tradition, when the Temple was rededicated, there was only enough pure oil to keep the menorah burning for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days, which is why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight nights.
Hanukkah is about:
- Light
- Faith
- Courage
- Hope
- Jewish identity
- Rededication
- Resilience
- Miracles
Why Does Hanukkah Change Dates Every Year?
Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar.
Because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar and the Gregorian calendar is solar, Hanukkah appears to move around on the civil calendar each year. It usually falls in November or December.
In 2025, Hanukkah began on December 14.
How Is Hanukkah Celebrated? ✨
Hanukkah traditions vary by family and community, but common celebrations include:
- Lighting the menorah each night
- Saying blessings
- Singing Hanukkah songs
- Playing dreidel
- Eating fried foods
- Giving gelt or gifts
- Attending community menorah lightings
- Sharing meals with family and friends
- Telling the Hanukkah story
The heart of Hanukkah is the nightly lighting, which brings the theme of light into the home.
What Is a Menorah?
For Hanukkah, the special menorah is called a hanukkiah.
It has nine branches:
- Eight for the eight nights of Hanukkah
- One for the shamash, the helper candle
Each night, one more candle is added. By the eighth night, all eight candles are lit, creating the brightest moment of the holiday. 🕎
Traditional Hanukkah Foods 🍽️
Many Hanukkah foods are fried in oil to remember the miracle of the oil.
Popular Hanukkah foods include:
- Latkes, or potato pancakes
- Sufganiyot, or jelly doughnuts
- Fried pastries
- Brisket
- Kugel
- Applesauce and sour cream with latkes
- Chocolate gelt
Food traditions may vary by Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, and family customs.
What Is Dreidel? 🎲
Dreidel is a spinning top game often played during Hanukkah.
The dreidel has Hebrew letters on its sides. Outside Israel, the letters traditionally stand for the phrase:
Nes Gadol Haya Sham
Meaning: A great miracle happened there.
In Israel, the phrase is often:
Nes Gadol Haya Po
Meaning: A great miracle happened here.
Children often play with coins, candy, or chocolate gelt.
Hanukkah Greetings 💌
If you want to wish someone well during Hanukkah, you can say:
- Happy Hanukkah!
- Hanukkah Sameach!
- Chag Sameach!
- Wishing you a bright and joyful Hanukkah.
- May your Hanukkah be filled with light, love, and peace.
- Wishing you eight nights of warmth and blessing.
- May the lights of Hanukkah bring hope to your home.
Hanukkah 2025 Wishes and Messages ✨
- Happy Hanukkah 2025! May your home be filled with light, warmth, and beautiful memories.
- Wishing you eight nights of peace, joy, and blessings.
- Hanukkah Sameach! May the candles remind you of hope that keeps shining.
- May your Hanukkah be bright with love, laughter, and family traditions.
- Wishing you a meaningful Hanukkah filled with faith and gratitude.
- May every candle bring a little more peace into your heart.
- Happy Hanukkah! May this season of light bring comfort and joy to your home.
- Wishing you latkes, laughter, love, and a beautiful festival of lights.
- May the miracle of Hanukkah inspire hope in every season.
- Chag Sameach! May your Hanukkah glow with blessing and warmth. 🕎
Hanukkah 2025 FAQs
When did Hanukkah 2025 start?
Hanukkah 2025 started at sundown on Sunday, December 14, 2025.
When did Hanukkah 2025 end?
Hanukkah 2025 ended at nightfall on Monday, December 22, 2025.
What was the first full day of Hanukkah 2025?
The first full day of Hanukkah 2025 was Monday, December 15, 2025.
When was the first candle lit for Hanukkah 2025?
The first candle was lit on Sunday evening, December 14, 2025.
When was the last candle lit for Hanukkah 2025?
The eighth candle was lit on Sunday evening, December 21, 2025.
How many days is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah lasts for eight days and eight nights.
What does Hanukkah celebrate?
Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days.
How do you greet someone on Hanukkah?
You can say Happy Hanukkah, Hanukkah Sameach, or Chag Sameach.
Final Thoughts 🕎✨
Hanukkah 2025 was a season of light, memory, family, and hope.
From the first candle on December 14 to the full glow of the eighth night on December 21, Hanukkah invited families and communities to remember courage, celebrate miracles, and bring light into the darkest part of the year.
Whether you were checking the Hanukkah 2025 dates, lighting the menorah, preparing latkes, playing dreidel, or sending warm wishes, the message of the holiday remains timeless: even a small light can carry deep hope.
