Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Three Kings Events 2026
Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, Dec 4 and the eighth night is Friday, Dec 11, so the first confirmed public lightings are Reading and Peabody on Sunday, Dec 6, then Wakefield on Dec 8 and Stoneham on Dec 9.
- Hanukkah begins at sundown; light before 3:53pm in Boston
- Reading (Jordan's, lighting 3pm) and Peabody (Northshore Mall, 3pm)
- Wakefield public menorah lighting, 5pm
- Stoneham public menorah lighting at Town Hall, 6pm
- Eighth night of Hanukkah; light before 3:53pm
Section 2 lists towns north of Boston, plus Boston. Where the organiser has not posted a 2026 date, the row says so and links the page to watch. Kwanzaa runs Dec 26 to Jan 1 and Three Kings Day is Wednesday, Jan 6; both are in section 3. This page updates as lightings are posted.
Night by night: key dates
Candle times are for Boston. Night 1 falls on Friday, so the menorah goes first and Shabbat candles follow.
| Night | Date | Candle lighting (Boston) | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night 1 | Fri, Dec 4 | Before sundown: 3:53pm | Friday: light before Shabbat candles, same 3:53pm time | Hebcal Boston, December 2026 |
| Night 2 | Sat, Dec 5 | After Shabbat ends: 4:58pm | Saturday night: light after Havdalah | Hebcal Boston, December 2026 |
| Night 3 | Sun, Dec 6 | 4:36pm | Weekday night, Hebcal Boston time | Hebcal Boston, December 2026 |
| Night 4 | Mon, Dec 7 | 4:36pm | Weekday night, Hebcal Boston time | Hebcal Boston, December 2026 |
| Night 5 | Tue, Dec 8 | 4:36pm | Weekday night, Hebcal Boston time | Hebcal Boston, December 2026 |
| Night 6 | Wed, Dec 9 | 4:36pm | Weekday night, Hebcal Boston time | Hebcal Boston, December 2026 |
| Night 7 | Thu, Dec 10 | 4:36pm | Weekday night, Hebcal Boston time | Hebcal Boston, December 2026 |
| Night 8 | Fri, Dec 11 | Before sundown: 3:53pm | Friday: light before Shabbat candles, same 3:53pm time | Hebcal Boston, December 2026 |
Night 2 is Saturday: light after Shabbat ends. Public lightings are often held on the afternoon or evening of the night shown, not at candle time.
Public lightings and events by town
Confirmed 2026 events first appear on Chabad of the North Shore's Chanukah list and the local Chabad pages. Towns without a posted event are marked.
| Town | Event and date | Where, who and notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andover | Not yet posted | Chabad Lubavitch of Merrimack Valley, 310 North Main Street. Its events page lists no Chanukah lighting yet. | Chabad of Merrimack Valley events |
| Bedford | Not yet posted | Chabad Center of Lexington's Chanukah page lists Night 1 (Fri, Dec 4) at 5:00pm at Hanscom AFB. It names no public Bedford lighting. | Chabad Center of Lexington |
| Beverly | Not yet posted | Chabad of Beverly-Salem says public lighting dates and signup details have yet to be posted. | Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah list |
| Billerica | Not yet posted | No public lighting listed on the Merrimack Valley Chabad events page. | Chabad of Merrimack Valley events |
| Boston | Not yet posted | Boston Common menorah: Chabad of Downtown Boston's Chanukah page still shows the 42nd annual lighting on Sun, Dec 14 at 4:00pm, which was 2025. It also names Faneuil Hall, Seaport and Prudential events without 2026 dates. | Chabad of Downtown Boston, Chanukah |
| Burlington | Burlington Mall lighting: Thu, Dec 10 (Night 7), 5:00pm | Listed on Chabad Center of Lexington's Chanukah page as 'Night 7 Lighting at the Burlington Mall: 5:00pm'. The page gives no street address; call 781-863-8656 to confirm. | Chabad Center of Lexington |
| Cambridge | Not yet posted | Harvard Chabad's site lists no Chanukah lighting yet. | Harvard Chabad |
| Chelmsford | Not yet posted | No public lighting listed on the Merrimack Valley Chabad events page. | Chabad of Merrimack Valley events |
| Dracut | Not yet posted | No public lighting listed on the Merrimack Valley Chabad events page. | Chabad of Merrimack Valley events |
| Everett | Not yet posted | Tobin Bridge Chabad, 34 Malden Street, lists no Chanukah event yet. | Tobin Bridge Chabad events |
| Lexington | Not yet posted | Chabad Center of Lexington, 9 Burlington Street, lists a night-by-night schedule by night number, with no town addresses. Call 781-863-8656 to confirm. | Chabad Center of Lexington |
| Lowell | Not yet posted | No public lighting listed yet. The City of Lowell calendar carries city events. | City of Lowell calendar |
| Lynn | Not yet posted | Tatelman Family Chabad Lynn Campus, 151 Ocean St, is on the North Shore Chanukah list, which shows no Lynn event yet. | Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah list |
| Malden | Not yet posted | The city held its 7th annual public lighting on Sun, Dec 21, 2025 (6:30pm, City Hall lobby, with Tobin Bridge Chabad). No 2026 date yet. | City of Malden calendar |
| Marblehead | Not yet posted | No Marblehead event on the North Shore Chanukah list. | Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah list |
| Middleton | Not yet posted | No public lighting listed on the Merrimack Valley Chabad events page. | Chabad of Merrimack Valley events |
| Nahant | Not yet posted | No Nahant event on the North Shore Chanukah list. | Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah list |
| North Reading | Not yet posted | No public lighting listed on the Merrimack Valley Chabad events page. Chabad of Wakefield's Reading event (below) is nearby. | Chabad of Merrimack Valley events |
| Peabody | Menorah at the Mall: Sun, Dec 6, 3:00pm | Northshore Mall. Free, crafts, snacks and music. Hosted by Chabad of Peabody. Deli party Tue, Dec 8, 6:30pm at 682 Lowell St: $36 adult, $18 child. | Chabad of Peabody events |
| Reading | Chanukah at Jordan's: Sun, Dec 6, 2:00pm; menorah lighting 3:00pm | Jordan's Furniture, 50 Walker Brook Drive. Free. Crafts and food from 2:00, bubble show 3:15, gelt drop. Hosted by Chabad of Wakefield. | Chabad of Wakefield |
| Revere | Not yet posted | No Revere event on the North Shore Chanukah list. | Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah list |
| Salem | Not yet posted | Chabad of Beverly-Salem says public lighting dates and signup details have yet to be posted. | Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah list |
| Saugus | Not yet posted | No Saugus event on the North Shore Chanukah list. | Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah list |
| Somerville | Not yet posted | No menorah lighting on the city calendar yet. | City of Somerville calendar |
| Stoneham | Public menorah lighting: Wed, Dec 9, 6:00pm | Stoneham Town Hall. Free. Giant menorah, music, latkes and donuts. Hosted by Chabad of Wakefield. | Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah list |
| Swampscott | Chanukah Run-a-Latke 5K: Sun, Nov 29, 10:00am | 44 Burrill Street. Flat 5K by the shore, latkes and prizes at the finish. Same-day signup opens 8:00am. Chabad of the North Shore. | Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah list |
| Tewksbury | Not yet posted | No public lighting listed on the Merrimack Valley Chabad events page. | Chabad of Merrimack Valley events |
| Topsfield | Not yet posted | No Topsfield event on the North Shore Chanukah list. | Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah list |
| Tyngsborough | Not yet posted | No public lighting listed on the Merrimack Valley Chabad events page. | Chabad of Merrimack Valley events |
| Wakefield | Public menorah lighting and gelt drop: Tue, Dec 8, 5:00pm | Veterans Memorial Common. Free. Giant menorah, music, latkes and donuts. Hosted by Chabad of Wakefield. | Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah list |
| Westford | Not yet posted | No public lighting listed on the Merrimack Valley Chabad events page. | Chabad of Merrimack Valley events |
| Winthrop | Not yet posted | No Winthrop event on the North Shore Chanukah list. | Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah list |
| Woburn | Not yet posted | No Woburn lighting named on Chabad Center of Lexington's Chanukah page. | Chabad Center of Lexington |
Kwanzaa and Three Kings Day
Both celebrations tend to be announced closer to the date by the museums, libraries and cultural centers that host them.
| Holiday | Organiser | Event | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kwanzaa | Museum of African American History, Boston | Not yet posted | The museum's events page lists no Kwanzaa event. | Museum of African American History |
| Kwanzaa | City of Boston events calendar | Not yet posted | No Kwanzaa event listed on boston.gov yet. | City of Boston events |
| Three Kings Day | Hyde Square Task Force, Jamaica Plain | Not yet posted | The organisation's site lists no Three Kings event. | Hyde Square Task Force |
| Three Kings Day | Veronica Robles Cultural Center, East Boston | Not yet posted | The center's events list shows no Three Kings event. | Veronica Robles Cultural Center |
| Three Kings Day | City of Boston events calendar | Not yet posted | No Three Kings event listed on boston.gov yet. | City of Boston events |
Common questions
Why does Hanukkah start on a Friday this year?
Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, Dec 4, 2026 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, Dec 12. Hebcal lists Boston candle lighting at 3:53pm on Dec 4 and Dec 11, and the menorah is lit before Shabbat candles on those Fridays.
When is the Boston Common menorah lighting?
Chabad of Downtown Boston has not posted a 2026 date. Its Chanukah page still shows the 2025 lighting, the 42nd annual, on Sunday, Dec 14 at 4:00pm.
Sources
Every entry above links to the page it was read from. Each page was checked on November 10, 2026.
- Hebcal Boston, December 2026hebcal.com · checked Nov 10
- Chabad of Merrimack Valley eventschabadmv.com · checked Nov 10
- Chabad Center of Lexingtonjewishlexington.com · checked Nov 10
- Chabad of the North Shore Chanukah listnorthshorechanukah.com · checked Nov 10
- Chabad of Downtown Boston, Chanukahchabaddowntownboston.org · checked Nov 10
- Harvard Chabadharvardchabad.org · checked Nov 10
- Tobin Bridge Chabad eventstobinbridgechabad.com · checked Nov 10
- City of Lowell calendarlowellma.gov · checked Nov 10
- City of Malden calendarcityofmalden.org · checked Nov 10
- Chabad of Peabody eventsjewishpeabody.com · checked Nov 10
- Chabad of Wakefieldjewishwakefield.com · checked Nov 10
- City of Somerville calendarsomervillema.gov · checked Nov 10
- Museum of African American Historymaah.org · checked Nov 10
- City of Boston eventsboston.gov · checked Nov 10
- Hyde Square Task Forcehydesquare.org · checked Nov 10
- Veronica Robles Cultural Centerveronicaroblesculturalcenter.org · checked Nov 10
- City of Boston eventsboston.gov · checked Nov 10
- Hebcal: Chanukah 2026hebcal.com · checked Nov 10
- Chabad of Downtown Bostonchabaddowntownboston.org · checked Nov 10