Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12. That is about a month away, which is exactly the right time to plan a table, a host gift or a gift for someone who will be lighting the menorah. We are florists, not authorities on observance, so we stick to what we know about flowers and defer to the host on everything else. This guide covers the dates, the colors that suit the holiday, which flowers to choose, how to arrange them safely around candles, and what changes in 2027.
📅 The Eight Nights of Hanukkah 2026
Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev and lasts eight nights and days. Because the Jewish day begins at sunset, each night’s candle lighting is at or after dusk, with one candle on the first night, two on the second and so on until all eight are lit, plus the extra helper candle, the shamash, used to light the others. This year:
- Friday, December 4: first night, candles lit before sundown.
- Saturday, December 5 to Thursday, December 10: nights two through seven.
- Friday, December 11: eighth night, candles lit before sundown.
- Saturday, December 12: the eighth day, ending at nightfall.
The first and last nights both fall on a Friday, and on those days the candles are lit earlier, before sundown. If you are sending flowers for either night, plan for the morning or early afternoon, or send them the day before, so they are on the table well before the candles go in. We deliver seven days a week, and ask the host if a particular day or time is better.
💙 Why Blue and White?
Hanukkah has no official color scheme, but blue and white is the palette most people expect, and it comes from the flag of Israel: a white banner with two blue stripes that echo a tallit, above and below a blue Star of David. The idea that blue and white are the colors of the Jewish people was voiced well before the state existed, and the blue is often described as a dark sky-blue. Silver is the natural third color, for the menorah and the candlelight. Together they make a cool, clean palette that looks good on a table in December.
🌷 White Flowers to Use
- White roses. Classic and elegant, and available all year. Our guide to everything about roses covers choosing them.
- White lisianthus and ranunculus. Soft, layered petals that look like a bouquet of tiny roses.
- White chrysanthemums and spray mums. Sturdy and long-lasting, a good choice for a table that will be used for eight nights.
- White hydrangea and stock. Full, fragrant and generous, with stock adding a spicy scent. If fragrance is an issue, see our list of the least fragrant flowers.
💠 Blue Flowers, and an Honest Note About Blue Roses
True blue is rare in flowers, and that matters here. There is no such thing as a naturally blue rose: roses lack the gene for a true blue pigment, and the blue roses you see are traditionally created by dyeing white ones. Scientists produced a rose with a blue pigment by genetic engineering in 2002, but it came out lavender or pale mauve. If you want a blue that is real, choose delphinium, iris, hyacinth, scabiosa or blue hydrangea. Our guide to everything about hydrangeas explains why a hydrangea’s blue depends on the soil. If you like the look of a dyed blue flower, that is fine too, and a good florist will tell you which is which.
✨ Adding Silver
Silver comes from foliage and accents. Silvery eucalyptus, dusty miller and silver-leaved greens add a frosted look to white and blue flowers, and a few silver ribbons or a silver or mercury-glass vase pull the palette together. Keep the metallics modest. You want the menorah, which is usually silver or brass, to remain the center of attention.
🕯️ Flowers and Open Flames
This is the part that matters most. A menorah has real candles or oil lamps, and flowers, greenery and paper decorations burn. Our rules:
- Keep arrangements away from the flames. Put the flowers at the other end of the table or on a sideboard, not next to the menorah.
- Go low. Short arrangements keep sight lines open and keep the flowers well below the lights.
- Avoid dried flowers, dry greens and paper decor near candles. They ignite more easily than fresh stems in water.
- Leave the lighting spot clear. The lights are lit to publicize the miracle of the holiday, and many households place the menorah where it can be seen, such as near a window. Do not crowd it.
- Ask about electric options. Electric menorah lights are acceptable in places where an open flame is not allowed, such as a hospital room, which matters if you are sending to someone who is in care.
🍽️ The Table: Latkes, Doughnuts and Flowers
Common Hanukkah foods are fried and dairy dishes, including latkes and sufganiyot, and the table gets busy. Keep the flowers simple and low so they do not compete with the food, and avoid heavy fragrance near the table. One long low arrangement, or a row of small white bud vases, looks better than a single tall piece. If you are hosting, a few blue napkins and a white runner do as much as any arrangement.
🎁 Gift Ideas
- A host gift. A small white and blue arrangement is welcome at any Hanukkah gathering, and our bouquets and arrangements page is the place to start.
- Eight small gifts. If you like the idea of a gift each night, eight small bud vases of white flowers, one per night, make a lovely tradition for a household.
- A basket. Our gifts for him and gift baskets page includes a kosher wine basket for adults, as well as gourmet and fruit baskets.
- On a budget. See our flowers and gifts under $50 page.
- A plant that lasts. A white-flowering plant keeps the look going well past the eighth night; see plants and gardens.
For the card, keep it simple and warm. “Happy Hanukkah” is a good greeting, and many people also say “Chag Sameach,” which means happy holiday. When you are not sure, ask the family what they prefer. Hanukkah has its own story and its own customs, so a gift or a card that honors Hanukkah itself is always the better choice.
📆 A Note on Hanukkah 2027
Hanukkah moves around the Gregorian calendar, so next year looks very different. Hanukkah 2027 begins at sundown on December 24, 2027, which is Christmas Eve, and ends at nightfall on January 1, 2028. That means the first night overlaps with Christmas Eve, and the holiday runs through New Year’s Eve. If you are planning flowers for a family that celebrates both, or for a Hanukkah that falls on a holiday weekend, order early, because it falls at the busiest time of the holiday season. We will publish a Hanukkah 2027 guide closer to the date.
📋 The Short Version
- Hanukkah 2026 runs from sundown Friday, December 4, to nightfall Saturday, December 12.
- The first and eighth nights fall on Fridays, so candles are lit before sundown: plan flower deliveries early in the day or the day before.
- Blue and white (the colors of the Israeli flag) plus silver is the classic palette.
- True blue is rare. Blue roses are dyed, so choose delphinium, iris or hydrangea for a natural blue.
- Keep flowers low and away from the candles; avoid dried and paper decor near flames.
- Hanukkah 2027 begins at sundown on December 24, 2027, Christmas Eve.