Hanukkah 2026 in South Africa: Dates, Candle Times and Is It a Public Holiday?
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Hanukkah 2026 Dates
Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) always starts on the 25th of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. In 2026 that is the evening of Friday, 4 December. Like every Jewish day, each night of Hanukkah begins at sunset, so the first candle is lit the evening before the first full day.
| Night | Evening of | Candles (plus the helper candle) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st night | Friday, 4 December 2026 | 1 |
| 2nd night | Saturday, 5 December 2026 | 2 |
| 3rd night | Sunday, 6 December 2026 | 3 |
| 4th night | Monday, 7 December 2026 | 4 |
| 5th night | Tuesday, 8 December 2026 | 5 |
| 6th night | Wednesday, 9 December 2026 | 6 |
| 7th night | Thursday, 10 December 2026 | 7 |
| 8th night | Friday, 11 December 2026 | 8 |
| Last day | Saturday, 12 December 2026 | Hanukkah ends at nightfall |
Candle Lighting Times in Johannesburg and Cape Town
In 2026 Hanukkah starts and ends over a weekend, so two Fridays and two Saturdays need care. On a Friday the Hanukkah candles are lit before the Shabbat candles. On a Saturday they are lit only after Shabbat ends.
These times come from the Hebcal Jewish calendar for each city (SA time). Your own shul may give slightly different times, so follow its calendar if it does.
| Evening | Johannesburg | Cape Town |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 4 Dec (1st night) | Before Shabbat candles at 18:30 | Before Shabbat candles at 19:27 |
| Sat 5 Dec (2nd night) | After Shabbat ends at 19:28 | After Shabbat ends at 20:29 |
| Sun 6 to Thu 10 Dec | From about 19:08 to 19:11 | From about 20:08 to 20:12 |
| Fri 11 Dec (8th night) | Before Shabbat candles at 18:35 | Before Shabbat candles at 19:32 |
| Sat 12 Dec (last day) | Shabbat and Hanukkah end at 19:33 | Shabbat and Hanukkah end at 20:35 |
Cape Town is about an hour later than Johannesburg every evening because the sun sets later in the west of the country.
Is Hanukkah a Public Holiday in South Africa?
No. South Africa has 12 public holidays under the Public Holidays Act, and Hanukkah is not one of them. In 2026 the government also declared 4 November an extra public holiday for the local elections. The next public holiday after Hanukkah is the Day of Reconciliation on Wednesday, 16 December 2026.
What this means in practice:
- Workers have no automatic day off. Some employers allow leave for religious days, so ask early.
- Public schools close for the year on Wednesday, 9 December 2026, so the last nights of Hanukkah fall in the school holidays.
- Shops, banks and government offices keep their normal December hours.
See all the December dates on our December 2026 holidays page and the full list on the public holidays calendar 2026.
What Hanukkah Celebrates
Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew. It remembers the time, in the second century BCE, when Jews in Judea rose up against the Seleucid Greek king Antiochus IV, who had banned Jewish practice and turned the Temple in Jerusalem into a place of pagan worship.
A small Jewish army led by Judah Maccabee took back Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple, in about 164 BCE. According to the Talmud, they found only enough pure oil to light the Temple lamp for one day, but it burned for eight. That is why Hanukkah lasts eight nights and why it is called the Festival of Lights.
The festival is about religious freedom and about light winning over darkness. It is a happy, family-centred time rather than a solemn one.
How Hanukkah Is Celebrated
| Custom | What it is |
|---|---|
| Menorah (hanukkiah) | A lamp with eight branches and a ninth for the shamash, the helper candle used to light the others |
| Adding a candle | One candle on the first night, one more each night, until all eight burn on the last night |
| Window or doorway | Many families place the menorah where people outside can see it |
| Blessings and songs | Blessings are said before lighting, with an extra blessing on the first night, and songs are sung after |
| Fried food | Latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jam doughnuts), fried in oil to recall the oil in the Temple |
| Dreidel | A four-sided spinning top that children play with; its Hebrew letters stand for “a great miracle happened there” |
| Gelt | Small gifts of money or chocolate coins for children |
In South Africa Hanukkah falls in early summer, so many families celebrate outdoors and on holiday. In past years, Chabad and local congregations have held public menorah lightings at shuls, community centres and some shopping centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town. For 2026 venues, check your shul’s newsletter or the SA Jewish Report closer to the time.
Hanukkah and the South African Jewish Community
A 2019 survey by the Kaplan Centre at the University of Cape Town and the Institute for Jewish Policy Research estimated South Africa’s Jewish community at about 52,300 people, with about four in five living in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Smaller communities live in Durban and Pretoria. The survey found the community had shrunk over the previous two decades, mainly because of emigration.
Why the Date Changes Every Year
The Hebrew calendar follows the moon, with an extra month added in some years to keep it in step with the seasons. So Hanukkah always falls on 25 Kislev, but the date in our calendar moves between late November and late December.
| Year | Hanukkah starts (evening) | Hanukkah ends (nightfall) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday, 4 December 2026 | Saturday, 12 December 2026 |
| 2027 | Friday, 24 December 2027 | Saturday, 1 January 2028 |
In 2027 the first candle is lit on Christmas Eve. Other religious dates that move each year are on our Diwali 2026 and Ramadan 2027 pages.
Hanukkah 2026 Questions
When does Hanukkah start in 2026?
At sunset on Friday, 4 December 2026. The first candle is lit that evening, before the Shabbat candles.
When does Hanukkah end in 2026?
At nightfall on Saturday, 12 December 2026. The eighth and last candle is lit on the evening of Friday, 11 December.
Is Hanukkah a public holiday in South Africa?
No. It is not one of South Africa’s public holidays, so there is no official day off. Public schools close for the year on 9 December 2026.
Why is Hanukkah eight days?
According to the Talmud, the oil found in the Temple was only enough for one day but burned for eight days, so the festival lasts eight nights.
Is it Hanukkah or Chanukah?
Both spellings are correct. They are two ways of writing the same Hebrew word in English letters.
When is Hanukkah in 2027?
From the evening of Friday, 24 December 2027 to nightfall on Saturday, 1 January 2028.
More: December 2026 holidays, public holidays calendar 2026, Diwali 2026 and Ramadan 2027.