Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, starts on 25 Kislev and lasts eight nights. It remembers the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, and one more candle of the menorah is lit each night.
The first candle is lit at sundown the evening before the date shown.
No. Hanukkah is not a federal holiday in the US, so government offices, banks and schools follow their normal schedule unless they choose otherwise.
When is Hanukkah 2012?
Hanukkah 2012 falls on Sunday, December 9.
Why does the date of Hanukkah change each year?
It follows the Hebrew calendar, a lunisolar calendar whose months follow the moon. The Gregorian date moves each year but stays within the same season.