Good Hanukkah party invitation wording names which night you’re celebrating, the calendar date, when you’ll light candles, what’s on the table, what to bring (if anything), and how to RSVP by a specific date. Hanukkah runs eight nights, so “come over for Hanukkah” isn’t a plan; “fifth night, Tuesday, December 8, candles at 5” is.
In 2026, Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 4 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12. The three text invites below are ready to send once you fill in the brackets. Twelve more cover family dinners, latke-frying parties, kids, potlucks, friends who’ve never celebrated, and gift exchanges. Replace every bracketed placeholder before sending.
Copy-ready Hanukkah text invites
1. A short latke night text
Latke night at [host]’s! [Night] of Hanukkah, [day, date], candles at [time], then dinner at [address]. We’re frying; you just come hungry. Can you text me by [deadline] to say if you’re in?
Here’s how it reads filled in, with made-up details:
Latke night at Dana’s! Fifth night of Hanukkah, Tuesday, Dec 8, candles at 5:00, then dinner at 118 Birch Lane. We’re frying; you just come hungry. Can you text me by Tuesday the 1st to say if you’re in?
2. A candle-lighting dinner
Join [hosts] for the [night] of Hanukkah on [day, date] at [address]. We’ll light candles at [time] and sit down to dinner right after. Bring your menorah if you’d like to light alongside us; we’ll have candles. Please RSVP by [deadline] so we know how many places to set.
3. A kids’ Hanukkah party
Hanukkah party for the kids at [host]’s! [Day, date], [start–end time], [address]. Dreidel games, gelt, latkes, and sufganiyot. Parents are welcome to stay. Please RSVP by [deadline] with how many adults and children are coming.
Collecting replies on an RSVP page instead of by text? Swap the reply line for “Details and RSVP by [deadline]: [link].” In HeadOnOver, the invitation text already carries each household’s private link, so paste your wording into the event note and leave the link out. Pick one way to answer so you aren’t counting texts, thumbs-up reactions, and form replies side by side.
Which night should you pick, and what time are candles?
Say the night and the date together. Guests who celebrate will know what “sixth night” means; guests who don’t will anchor on “Wednesday, December 9.” The eight nights of 2026:
| Night | Candles lit the evening of |
|---|---|
| 1st | Friday, Dec 4 |
| 2nd | Saturday, Dec 5 |
| 3rd | Sunday, Dec 6 |
| 4th | Monday, Dec 7 |
| 5th | Tuesday, Dec 8 |
| 6th | Wednesday, Dec 9 |
| 7th | Thursday, Dec 10 |
| 8th | Friday, Dec 11 |
The first and eighth nights both fall on a Friday this year, and Saturday, December 5 is Shabbat. Households that observe Shabbat light Hanukkah candles before sunset on Friday and after nightfall on Saturday, and many won’t travel then. If that describes your guests, ask them before fixing a time, or choose Sunday through Thursday (December 6–10). For a weekend party with a mixed crowd, Sunday, December 6 is the simplest choice.
Give an actual clock time for candles. Sunset comes early in December, before 5 pm in much of the U.S., so a vague “at sundown” can mean people arrive after the candles are lit. If your group lights later, say so: “We’ll light when everyone’s here, around 6:30.” Separating the candle time from the arrival time (“come from 5, candles at 5:30”) gives coats and drinks somewhere to go.
When to send Hanukkah party invitations in 2026
For a casual latke night with local friends, we suggest sending invitations two to three weeks ahead. Allow three to four weeks when family is traveling, when you’re hosting a larger group, or when you want a particular night before other plans claim it. Ask for RSVPs about a week before the party. These are planning suggestions consistent with our party invitation timing guide, which gives a few days to three weeks for an informal dinner and four to six weeks for a bigger holiday party.
Two practical dates to keep in mind:
- For a party on Tuesday, December 8 (fifth night), send invitations between about November 17 and 24, and ask for RSVPs by Tuesday, December 1.
- For a family dinner on Sunday, December 6 (third night) with relatives driving in, send around November 8 to 15, and ask for RSVPs by Sunday, November 29.
Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26 this year, and a text that lands that week is easy to lose. If you can, send before Thanksgiving and follow up individually afterward. Inviting later? A week’s notice can still work for a small, local group; say it’s short notice and make declining easy.
12 more Hanukkah invitations for different plans
Family and candle-lighting dinners
4. A family dinner with travel
We’re hosting Hanukkah dinner on the [night], [day, date], at [address]. Candles at [time], dinner at [time]. Plan to stay as late as you like; there’s room for anyone who’d rather not drive home that night. Please let us know by [deadline] who’s coming and whether you’ll stay over.
5. Bring your own menorah
Hanukkah at [host]’s on [day, date], the [night]. Bring your menorah and we’ll line them all up on the windowsill and light together at [time]. Dinner follows. Please RSVP by [deadline] with your headcount so we have enough candles and chairs.
6. A Saturday night celebration
Join us Saturday, [date], for the [night] of Hanukkah. We’ll light candles after nightfall, around [time], then eat. Come anytime after [arrival time]. [Address]. Please RSVP by [deadline] and tell us how many adults and children to expect.
If some guests light at home first, ask them to come after, and keep the start time comfortable for them. Nobody should have to explain their observance to the whole group.
Latke parties and potlucks
7. A latke-frying party
Help us fry our way through Hanukkah! [Day, date], [night], from [time] at [address]. We’ll have potatoes, oil, and a very warm kitchen; you’re welcome to grate, flip, or just eat. Applesauce and sour cream both provided, no debate required. RSVP by [deadline].
A frying party works best with a short guest list. Say how many you can fit around the stove.
8. A Hanukkah potluck
Hanukkah potluck at [host]’s on [day, date], [night], candles at [time]. We’re making latkes and brisket. Please RSVP by [deadline] first, then message [host] about a side, salad, or dessert so we don’t end up with four kugels. Coming empty-handed is fine too.
Ask for the attendance answer before the dish. Guests can say yes before they know what they’re cooking, and the dish list stays with you.
9. A sufganiyot and dessert drop-in
Drop by [host]’s for sufganiyot, coffee, and Hanukkah candles on [day, date], anytime between [start] and [end]. [Address]. We’ll light at [time] if you want to be there for it. This is dessert, not dinner, so eat first. Please let us know by [deadline] if you’ll stop in.
10. An adults-only latke night
Grown-ups only: latkes, a few good bottles, and candles on the [night], [day, date], [time], at [address]. We’ll have dinner covered. Please RSVP by [deadline]. We understand if childcare makes this one hard, and we hope to see you another night of the holiday.
Say this in the first invitation, with enough notice for parents to arrange a sitter.
Kids and families
11. A weekend Hanukkah afternoon for families
Family Hanukkah party at [host]’s! [Day, date], [start–end time], [address]. Dreidel tournament for the kids (gelt for everyone), latkes and sufganiyot, and we’ll light candles together at [time]. Siblings welcome. Please RSVP by [deadline] with the number of adults and children coming.
12. A small kids’ party at home
[Child] would love to have [guest’s child] over for a Hanukkah party on [day, date], [start–end time], at [address]. We’ll make a craft, play dreidel, and eat too many sufganiyot. Parents can stay or drop off. Please RSVP by [deadline] and let me know about any food allergies.
For a kids’ party, send the invitation to the responsible adult and ask for the counts you need. Our kids’ birthday invitations page covers household RSVPs with adult and child counts in more detail.
Friends, newcomers, and gift exchanges
13. For friends who’ve never celebrated Hanukkah
We’d love to have you over for a night of Hanukkah: [day, date], [night], candles at [time], then dinner at [address]. No need to know any of the traditions; we’ll light the menorah, say a short blessing, and then it’s mostly latkes and catching up. Nothing to bring. Please RSVP by [deadline].
Tell guests what to expect in one sentence: whether they’ll be standing through a short ceremony or sitting down to dinner.
14. A Hanukkah gift exchange
Hanukkah gift swap at [host]’s on [day, date], [night], [time], at [address]. Bring one wrapped gift under [budget] for the exchange; we’ll light candles, eat latkes, and trade. You’re equally welcome without a gift. Please RSVP by [deadline] so we know how many are playing.
15. Hanukkah and Christmas together
December is a lot of holidays to fit in, so let’s do them together. [Hosts] are hosting a Hanukkah-and-Christmas evening on [day, date], [time], at [address]. We’ll light the menorah at [time], and there will be latkes, cookies, and music from both sides of the house. Please RSVP by [deadline].
Use this only when the party really is both. Name each holiday plainly rather than inventing a combined word your guests may not recognize or appreciate.
Add-on lines for guests who need a little more
These are additions, not complete invitations. Use the ones your guests need.
- For the candle time: “We’ll light candles at [time]; if you can’t get there by then, come anyway and join us for dinner.”
- For what to bring: “Bring your menorah and we’ll light together; we have plenty of candles.” Or: “Nothing to bring. Really.”
- For food notes: “Latkes come with applesauce and sour cream. Message me privately about allergies or dietary needs before [date].” If you’re calling the meal kosher, dairy, or vegetarian, say what that means in your kitchen.
- For a home that observes Shabbat: “We’ll light after Shabbat ends, around [time]. Come from [time] on.”
Before you send
- Pick the night first, and check it with the guests who matter most, especially around Friday and Saturday.
- Choose a deadline you’ll use. Work backward from your shopping trip or dish assignments, and leave a few days to follow up.
- Invite households individually. A shared thread exposes everyone’s numbers and buries the address under the latke debate. See why group texts fail as party invitations.
- Follow up personally. “Hi [name], I’m firming up latke night on Tuesday the 8th and need a count by the 1st. Can you make it? Either answer helps.” More examples are in our RSVP reminder texts.
Hosting a Christmas dinner or December open house too? Our holiday party invitation wording has 30 more examples.
Keep the invitation and the RSVPs together
HeadOnOver writes a personal invitation text for each household, with its own private link, and you send it from your phone with one tap; guests with an email address can get the invitation by email from HeadOnOver instead. Guests open their link to see the date, the candle time, and your note, and RSVP with adult and child counts without creating an account. The RSVP happens on the invitation page, not by texting back “yes.” When you choose, you can send a reminder to households that haven’t replied. See how it works for family dinners and holiday gatherings and text message invitations with RSVP.
About these examples: These are original, AI-assisted sample messages, not customer invitations or measured response-rate results. Hanukkah 2026 dates were checked against the Hebcal Jewish calendar on October 31, 2026. Product descriptions were checked against HeadOnOver’s invitation and RSVP workflow on the same date.