Hanukkah card deadlines
Hanukkah 2026 dates and when to mail cards.
Hanukkah starts at sundown on Friday, December 4 this year. Order by Thursday, November 19 and your cards will usually arrive before the first night.
Your Hanukkah dates
First night
Friday, December 4
Begins at sundown
Eighth night
Friday, December 11
Ends after nightfall Saturday, December 12
Order by
Thursday, November 19
For cards before the first night
When to order
| Goal | Order with us by | We mail about | Usually arrives by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cards usually here before the first night (Friday, December 4) | Thursday, November 19 | Monday, November 23 | Friday, December 4 |
| Cards usually here by the eighth night (Friday, December 11) | Friday, November 27 | Tuesday, December 1 | Friday, December 11 |
We usually mail within a few business days of your order; these dates assume two. A card usually arrives within 8 business days of mailing. Dates are estimates.
Hanukkah or Chanukah
Either spelling is correct, and there are many more. Our cards say Happy Hanukkah, and you can change the words to Happy Chanukah before you check out.
Mailing to a long list? Collect the addresses in one spreadsheet first. If you are also sending Christmas cards, here is that deadline.
What the Postal Service says
USPS publishes holiday send-by dates built around December 25. As of November 10, 2026, its list for the lower 48 states reads: First-Class Mail, Thursday, December 17; Ground Advantage, Thursday, December 17; Priority Mail, Friday, December 18; Priority Mail Express, Saturday, December 19. For military addresses (APO/FPO/DPO), it lists First-Class Mail by Wednesday, December 9. The page notes that Hanukkah (December 4 to 12) falls early this year, and that actual delivery may vary.
Those are dates to hand your mail to the Postal Service, not dates to place an order with us. The page does not list cards separately, so we read the First-Class Mail line as the one that applies to cards. Source: usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm.
Hanukkah timing, answered.
When does Hanukkah start in 2026?
Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 4 and ends after nightfall on Saturday, December 12. The eighth and last candle is lit the evening of Friday, December 11.
When should I mail Hanukkah cards in 2026?
To have cards usually arrive before the first night, order by Thursday, November 19. Cards ordered by Friday, November 27 usually arrive by the last night. These are estimates, not promises.
Why does Hanukkah start so early in 2026?
Hanukkah follows the Hebrew calendar, which does not line up with the calendar on your wall, so the date shifts every year. This year it starts early in December, and the Postal Service's holiday page mentions it too.
Is it Hanukkah or Chanukah?
Either spelling works. The card text starts as Happy Hanukkah, and you can switch it to Happy Chanukah before you check out.
Is it okay if a Hanukkah card arrives after the first night?
Yes. The holiday runs eight nights, so a card that shows up on any of them still counts. If you can, order early for the first night.
Choose a design and we will print and mail it.
Each card printed with its own name and address, postage included.
Design your holiday cardPostage included. 4x6 cards from $2, or $1.50 each from 50 cards. 6x9 from $3. Sales tax where it applies.
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