When did Hanukkah start, and how long is it? What to know about the holiday

While Christians celebrate Christmas every year on Dec. 25, Jews can celebrate Hanukkah as early as November because Jewish holidays follow a mostly lunar calendar, not the Gregorian calendar.

Officials, including Gov. JB Pritzker, gather at the Governor's Mansion for the lighting of the state's official menorah on Dec. 15, 2025. Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, is celebrated through Dec. 22.

Here's what to know.

How do you spell Hanukkah?

Hanukkah is the spelling used by the Associated Press Stylebook, though Chanukah is a common alternative.

When is Chanukah 2025?

Hanukkah runs from sundown on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, through sundown on Monday, Dec. 22, in 2025.

When does Hanukkah start in 2025?

The first night of Hanukkah was Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025.

When does Hanukkah end in 2025?

The last day of Hanukkah is Monday, Dec. 22, 2025.

How are the dates of Hanukkah determined?

This is because the date fluctuates on with the Gregorian calendar, which uses a solar dating system. The date is always the same on the Hebrew or Jewish calendar because it is timed with the moon.

What is Hanukkah?

Hanukkah — often referred to as the festival of lights — reaffirms the ideals of Judaism, commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by lighting candles over the span of eight days, according to brittanica.com.

Hanukkah is now one of the most popular Jewish religious observances and is widely celebrated in part because it dovetails loosely with Christmas.

How many days is Hanukkah?

The festival of lights runs for eight days and nights.

Why does Hanukkah last for 8 days?

The Talmud — which is a compilation of ancient teachings regarded as sacred by the Jewish people — tells of Judah Maccabee, a guerrilla leader who helped preserve the Jewish religion, according to brittanica.com.

He entered the Second Temple of Jerusalem only to find a small jar of oil that had not been defiled by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid king of the Hellenistic Syrian kingdom who invaded the Jews.

Antiochus forbade Jews to practice their religion and demanded all copies of the Jewish Law be burned.

After the Second Temple of Jerusalem was ransacked by Antiochus, there was only enough oil in the jar to burn for a single day. However, the oil miraculously burned for eight days until new consecrated oil could be found. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days to remember and honor the miracle.

How do you celebrate Hanukkah?

According to brittanica.com, Hanukkah is celebrated in multiple ways. The celebration includes lighting candles each night of Hanukkah, using a menorah or hanukkiah, adding one candle each night. Traditional activities include eating certain treats, singing holiday songs, and playing dreidel, a game of chance with a special top, with real money, chocolate coins or other tokens.

What is a menorah?

A menorah is a multi-branch candelabra, according to brittanica.com. There are menorahs with seven candles and nine candles. The nine-candle menorah is used during Hanukkah. On the first night of Hanukkah, one candle is lit and a candle is added for each night going forward. The center candle is used to light the others.

"The Hanukkah lamp is an eight-branched imitation of the original Tabernacle menorah that is used to celebrate the rededication of the Second Temple. The lamp has taken many forms through the ages, but its essential feature has been eight receptacles for oil or candles and a holder for the shammash (“servant”) light, which is used for kindling the other lights. During each night of Hanukkah, candles are inserted into the menorah from right to left but are lighted from left to right. The lamp is displayed in a highly visible location, and depictions of it are often found on public buildings, synagogues, and private homes." − britannica.com

How many candles for Hanukkah?

How do you light Hanukkah candles?

One of the candles — referred to as the servant light or "shammash" — is used to light all eight candles, according to brittanica.com. A candle is inserted into the menorah from right to left each night of Hanukkah. After being inserted into the menorah, candles are lit from left to right.

What is dreidel?

A game using a four-sided top — a dreidel — that has a Hebrew letter painted on each side. The four letters are Hay or Hey, Gimel, Nun and Shin, meant to symbolize the Hebrew for the saying, "A great miracle happened there."

Players attempt to collect the most "gelt" — often chocolate wrapped in gold tin foil made to look like coins, but it can be anything — from a poker-style pot. Each letter on the dreidel instructs a player to add gelt to the pot, take from the pot, or do nothing. The game ends when one player has collected all of the gelt and is declared the winner.

What are latkes?

Latkes are potato pancakes.

Why are latkes eaten by Jews during Hanukkah?

According to tenement.org, the oil of the menorah remained aflame for eight days despite only being enough for a single day after the Second Temple of Jerusalem had been ransacked. The oil used to fry the latkes symbolizes that very miracle of Hanukkah. Jelly donuts fried in oil are another Hanukkah treat.

In what year will there be no Hanukkah?

There will be no Hanukkah in 3031, according to forward.com. Randolph College math and computer science professor Marc Ordower took to TikTok to explain why the holiday will not exist.

Chris Sims is a digital producer at Midwest Connect Gannett. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims. Reach Marina Johnson at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: When did Hanukkah start, and how long is it? What to know about the holiday