For many families, Hanukkah is the holiday when everyone is in a different place. Grandparents spend the winter in Florida or Arizona, a child is at college, and cousins are spread from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. A virtual candle lighting solves part of this: each household lights its own menorah, and a video call lets everyone sing the blessings together. What makes it work is an invitation that is precise about time.
This guide is about inviting people to a Hanukkah gathering that happens on a video call, or a hybrid evening where some guests are at the table and others join online. For general invitation text, see Hanukkah invitation wording. If you'd rather start from a finished design, browse our Hanukkah invitations.
Featured TwistInvite DesignsLight, Love, Together HanukkahA soft, family-friendly design with a menorah and doves, suited to a gathering that is together in spirit.
Why timing is the whole invitation
An in-person party tolerates late arrivals. A virtual candle lighting usually lasts ten to twenty minutes, and if someone joins at minute fifteen, they have missed it. The invitation therefore has one job above all others: making sure every household knows exactly when to join, in its own local time.
Hanukkah candles are traditionally lit around sunset or nightfall in each place, depending on family custom, so households in different time zones will not naturally light at the same moment. Many families accept a compromise: each household lights at a time that works locally, and the family call happens at one agreed time when everyone can join. Some families who are strict about the lighting time hold the call a little after the earliest household has lit, so those candles are already burning on screen.
A time-zone table for 2026
Here is how a single call time looks across U.S. time zones. Sunset times differ by city, so check your own location; Hebcal's candle-lighting tool is a good reference.
| Call time (Eastern) | Central | Mountain | Pacific | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 4:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | East Coast families with young kids; early for the West |
| 7:00 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 4:00 p.m. | A middle ground; West Coast before sunset in much of California |
| 8:00 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | Everyone after dark; late for small children in the East |
For a family split between New York and Los Angeles, 8:00 p.m. Eastern (5:00 p.m. Pacific) is after sunset in both cities in early December. For families with relatives in Israel, which is seven hours ahead of New York, a Sunday morning call in the U.S. reaches Israel in the evening.
Which night to choose
Hanukkah 2026 begins on the evening of Friday, December 4. For many observant families, the first night is followed by Shabbat dinner, and video calls are not used once Shabbat begins, so a call on the first night is not an option for everyone. Saturday, December 5 is possible only after Shabbat ends. That leaves Sunday, December 6 through Thursday, December 10 as the most practical nights for a family call. The eighth candle is lit on Friday, December 11, which brings the same Shabbat issue as the first night.
If you are planning around the first night specifically, see the guide to first night of Hanukkah invitations.
What a virtual invitation must include
- The night and date: "Third night of Hanukkah, Sunday, December 6."
- The time in every relevant zone, written out: "7:00 p.m. Eastern / 4:00 p.m. Pacific."
- The video link, or a note that the link will follow on the day.
- What to have ready: a menorah, candles, matches, and maybe a plate of latkes.
- How long it lasts: "About 20 minutes" helps people say yes.
- Who is leading the blessings, so there is no awkward silence.
Wording you can copy
Light with us from wherever you are. Family Hanukkah call · Sunday, December 6 · 7:00 p.m. Eastern / 6:00 Central / 4:00 Pacific · Have your menorah ready. Grandpa leads the blessings. About 20 minutes.
Bubbe and Zayde invite you to the fourth candle, live from Boca. Monday, December 7, 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Video link to follow that afternoon. Kids, bring your dreidels; we'll spin together.
Hybrid Hanukkah: dinner at our place for everyone nearby, and a video link for everyone far away. Tuesday, December 8. Candles at 5:30 Eastern; call opens at 5:20.
College kids' call. We know it's finals season. Ten minutes, Wednesday, December 9, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Light where you are, we'll sing, you go back to studying.
Call etiquette that belongs in a reminder
You do not need etiquette on the invitation itself, but a short note on the day of the call keeps it smooth.
- Join five minutes early to sort out audio.
- Mute when you are not speaking; candles and kids are loud.
- Place the camera so the menorah is visible but not right in front of the lens; flames can confuse auto-exposure.
- Agree who leads the blessings and in which order households light.
- Keep the call short. The warmth comes from seeing each other, not from the length.
Tonight at 7:00 Eastern! Join at 6:55 so we can fix Grandma's microphone. Menorah, candles, matches, and something fried if you can.
Hybrid evenings
When some guests are at the table and others join on a screen, the remote guests can easily feel like spectators. A few small choices help: set the laptop or tablet at its own place at the table, let a remote family light first while everyone in the room watches, and give the remote guests a job, such as telling the story of the Maccabees or leading a song.
Sending the invitation
A virtual gathering still needs a real invitation, because a time buried in a long family thread is easy to miss. Share a TwistInvite link in the family chat or by text: relatives open it in their browser and choose Going, Can't make it or Maybe, with no account and email optional. TwistInvite handles the invitation and replies; the video link itself comes from whichever video app your family already uses, so paste it into the invitation details or send it on the day.
For remote gatherings that are not specifically about Hanukkah, such as a work party, the guide to virtual holiday party invitations covers team calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do a virtual Hanukkah candle lighting?
Each household lights its own menorah at home, and everyone joins a video call at an agreed time to say the blessings and sing together. Send an invitation with the time in each time zone and remind people to have candles and matches ready.
What time should a virtual Hanukkah call be across time zones?
Choose a time that is after sunset for most households. For a family split between the East and West Coasts, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, which is 5:00 p.m. Pacific, is after dark in both places in early December.
Which night is best for a family Hanukkah video call in 2026?
Sunday, December 6 through Thursday, December 10 are the most practical nights. The first night, December 4, and the eighth night, December 11, are Fridays, when many observant families begin Shabbat and do not use video calls.
How long should a virtual Hanukkah gathering last?
Ten to twenty minutes is enough for the blessings, the lighting and a song. Mention the length on the invitation; short calls get more yes replies.
Can relatives reply without an account?
Yes. Relatives open the TwistInvite link in a browser and choose Going, Can't make it or Maybe without an account. Email is optional.
Create it in the TwistInvite app
Download free on iPhone or Android, then share one link with your guests.