Chanukah 2026 Guide: Gelt, Dreidels & Hanukkah Candles

Chanukah 2026 is early this year, and if you've ever run out of gelt on night five or discovered the candle box is half empty, you know the holiday goes smoother with a little planning. Here's our plain-English guide to the dates, the gelt, the dreidels, the candles and the food, with links to the Chanukah items we stock at Whole And Natural. (You'll see both “Chanukah” and “Hanukkah” below. They're the same holiday, just two English spellings of the Hebrew word.)

When is Chanukah 2026?

Chanukah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, 2026 (the first candle is lit before Shabbat that evening) and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12, 2026. That's 25 Kislev through 2 Tevet, 5787. Eight nights, eight candles, and a lot of chocolate coins.

A quick note on that first night: since it falls on Friday, the Chanukah candles are lit before the Shabbat candles, and many families use longer-burning candles or oil that night so the lights last into the evening. Plan for that when you buy.

What is Chanukah gelt, and which gelt is best?

Gelt (Yiddish for “money”) started as real coins given to children on Chanukah. Today it mostly means foil-wrapped chocolate coins: the ones that get handed out after candle lighting, used as dreidel stakes, and quietly eaten from the bottom of the bag.

How much do you need? A simple rule: one small mesh bag per child per night, plus a bowl's worth for the table and for guests. A family with three kids goes through at least 24 bags over eight nights, so bulk packs are usually the better buy.

A few of our Chanukah gelt favorites:

• Hanukkah Chocolate Coins, Chanukah Gelt Coin Candy, 12 Bags – our best-selling gelt. Creamy milk chocolate in classic gold foil; the product page lists it as kosher dairy certified.
• Lieber's Hanukkah Milk Chocolate Gelt Coins, Bulk, 72 Bags – the big box for large families, classrooms, shuls and office parties.
• Dark Chocolate Coins, Silver Foil, Imported from Israel, Kosher Parve, 24 Count – silver foil and dark chocolate for the grown-ups, and parve for after a meat meal.

See everything in our chocolate coins collection.

Dreidels and how to play

The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side: Nun, Gimel, Hey and Shin. Together they stand for Nes Gadol Haya Sham, “a great miracle happened there.” (In Israel the last letter is a Pey, for Po, “here.”)

The rules take about a minute to learn:

1. Everyone starts with the same number of gelt coins and puts one in the middle (the pot).
2. Take turns spinning the dreidel.
3. Nun – nothing happens, next player.
4. Gimel – you take the whole pot. Everyone puts one coin back in.
5. Hey – you take half the pot.
6. Shin – you put one coin in.
7. When you're out of coins, you're out. Last player holding gelt wins (and usually shares anyway).

Kids love dreidel-themed treats and toys just as much as the game itself. Our Rainbow Dreidel Pop Fidget Toy is a dreidel-shaped push-pop that keeps little hands busy while the latkes fry, and Dreidel Jewel Pop Blue Raspberry Ring Lollipops, 36 Count are the party-favor pick for school and shul Chanukah parties. You'll find more in our dreidels and toys section.

Candles and menorah tips

Here's the number everyone forgets: you need 44 candles for the full holiday. Each night you light one shamash (the helper candle) plus one candle per night, so night one takes 2 candles and night eight takes 9. Add it up and that's 44. A standard box of Chanukah candles holds exactly 44, which is one menorah for eight nights with nothing to spare. If every child lights their own menorah, count one box per person, and grab a spare box, because a few always break.

• Hanukkah Candles, 44 Count Multicolor Set – the standard-size box that fits most menorahs, with about a 30-minute burn time.
• Ohr Candles EZ Light Chanukah Menorah Oil Cups, 100% Olive Oil, 44 Pack – pre-filled olive oil cups with wicks, ready to light, and about 2.5 hours of burn time. Great for Friday night when the lights need to last.
• Happy Chanukah Magnetic Travel Menorah Set with 44 Candles – a kids' kit with its own tin box, perfect for a child's first menorah or for lighting away from home.

A few practical tips: put the menorah on a foil-lined tray, keep it away from curtains, and let the candles burn out on their own (they should burn at least 30 minutes after nightfall). Browse the full Chanukah candles and oil collection.

Chanukah foods and snacks

Chanukah food is fried in oil to remember the small jug of oil that lasted eight days, which is the best excuse of the year for latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts).

• Latkes: you'll want a neutral, high-heat oil that doesn't smoke. Bakol Avocado Oil, 34 fl oz is our pick for frying. Serve with applesauce or sour cream, or both.
• Sufganiyot: homemade or bakery, they're not finished without a snowfall of Domino Confectioners Powdered Sugar, 2 Pack.
• Chanukah party treats: our Chanukah candy and chocolate section has the coins, pops and chocolate bars that fill a party table.

Hanukkah gift ideas

Eight nights means eight small gifts, and nobody needs eight big ones. A few ideas that work for kids, grandparents, teachers and hosts:

• Night-one basics: a box of candles and a bag of gelt. Simple, useful, always appreciated.
• For kids: a dreidel pop fidget toy, a travel menorah kit of their own, and a mesh bag of gelt each night.
• For teachers and classrooms: the 72-bag bulk gelt and dreidel ring pops cover a whole class.
• For hosts: a tin of dark chocolate parve coins plus something from our gifts and holidays page.

Everything Chanukah is gathered in one place on our Chanukah gelt, candy and gifts page, with a huge kosher selection across the store.

Order early: a note on shipping

Chanukah lands in the busiest shipping weeks of the year, right between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and gelt and candles tend to sell out as the holiday gets close. We ship from Brooklyn, NY. To be safe, order by the last week of November so everything is on your shelf before the first candle on December 4. Chocolate ships fine in December weather, and our mesh-bag gelt arrives ready to hand out.

Chanukah FAQ

What dates is Chanukah in 2026?
Sundown Friday, December 4 through nightfall Saturday, December 12, 2026.

How many candles do I need for Chanukah?
44 per menorah: one shamash plus one candle per night, over eight nights. One standard box of 44 covers one menorah.

Is it Chanukah or Hanukkah?
Both are correct. “Hanukkah” is the most common English spelling; “Chanukah” is the traditional one. Either way it's the Hebrew word for “dedication.”

How much gelt should I buy?
Figure one small bag per child per night plus extra for the table and for dreidel games. For three kids over eight nights, that's at least 24 bags.

Is the gelt kosher?
Check each product page; kosher certification is listed on the product itself when it applies, like the Carmit coins marked kosher dairy or kosher parve.

Happy Chanukah from all of us at Whole And Natural. Shop the full Chanukah collection and light up all eight nights.