Hannukah 2024, 2025 and 2026
The Jewish population of the United Kingdom celebrate the feast of Hanukkah each year beginning on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev, according to the Jewish Calendar. On the Gregorian Calendar, it will be sometime in November or December. The celebration lasts for eight consecutive days. Hanukkah is not an official bank holiday here, but there is widespread awareness of it throughout the UK.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 26 Dec | Thu | Hanukkah |
| 2025 | 15 Dec | Mon | Hanukkah |
| 2026 | 5 Dec | Sat | Hanukkah |
| Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates. | |||
Hannukah commemorates the miraculous cruse of oil that is described in the Talmud. It has to do with the special ceremonial oil not running out until the priests were able to make more during the Maccabean Revolt against the desecration of the Jewish Temple over 2,000 years ago.
Today, the memory is kept alive by lighting an 8-branched Menorah one day at a time, for seven days. The middle branch is used to light the other seven. The story of Hannukah and readings from the Jewish scriptures may be read, and foods like potato pancakes, Jewish donuts, and numerous dairy products are eaten.
Also, in the UK, the Speaker of the House of Commons lights a Menorah each year, even if he is not Jewish, and the Prime Minister gives a special Hannukah speech that highlights the value of the celebration and its historical roots.
Previous Years
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 8 Dec | Fri | Hanukkah |
| 2022 | 19 Dec | Mon | Hanukkah |