When Is Hanukkah this year?

Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 21, 2011 (Wednesday). It ends at sundown on December 28, 2011 (Wednesday).

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev, which coincides with late November-late December on the secular calendar.

In Hebrew, the word "hanukkah" means “dedication.” The name reminds us that this holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E.

Hanukkah, Jewish holiday, Jewish month of Kislev, Dedication, Holy Temple in Jerusalem, Syrian-Greeks