Holidays in Ashkelon: Hanukkah, Pesach and the late bathing season

Hanukkah (from the evening of 4 December 2026)

• The municipality and the Municipal Company hold a family Hanukkah event on the Migdal pedestrian street each year; in 2024 it was a free Friday-morning event (10:00-14:00) with children's performers and doughnut stalls, and community centres ran candle lightings, shows and workshops across the city (municipality, Dec 2024 (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).
• In 2024 a public candle lighting in solidarity with the hostages' families was held on the Culture Hall plaza.
• The Culture Hall's 2026 programme includes Hanukkah children's shows: Chipazon and Zehiron - the story of the miracle (25 Nov), the Nikulin circus on ice from Moscow, "The Nutcracker" (1 Dec), A Small Funny Doughnut Shop (3 Dec) and The Maccabees 2026 (6 Dec) (htash.co.il (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).
• Hanukkah 2026 runs from the evening of Friday 4 December to Saturday 12 December (Hebcal). The Municipal Company runs Hanukkah sessions of its afternoon programme for registered children.

Pesach

The Religious Council sells chametz online and at stands in the city's malls before Pesach, and publishes a yearly Pesach booklet with a kosher-business list (Religious Council (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).

Late bathing season

In 2026 the municipality extended lifeguard cover at three beaches (Bar Kochva North, Delila South and the separate beach) to 10 November, which covers the autumn holiday period (municipality (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).