Chloe Adams
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated by lighting a menorah, a nine-branched candelabrum, over eight consecutive nights. The menorah is placed in a window, on a table, or outside the front door, and blessings are recited before lighting the candles. The shamash, or helper candle, is lit first and used to light the other candles, which are placed in the menorah from right to left but lit from left to right. The lighting of the menorah symbolises the miracle of a small amount of oil burning for eight days after the Maccabees' victory over the Greeks, as well as the miracle of a small group of rebels defeating a mighty army.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of candles lit on the first night | 1 |
| Number of candles lit on the second night | 2 |
| ... | ... |
| Number of candles lit on the eighth night | 8 |
| Placement of candles in the menorah | From right to left |
| Order of lighting the candles | Left to right |
| Timing | After sundown |
| Direction of placement | Facing the street |
| Location of placement | Window, table, or outside the door |
| Type of candle | Oil lamps or wax candles |
| Number of candles required to complete the ritual with one menorah | 44 |
| Number of blessings recited on the first night | 3 |
| Number of blessings recited on the subsequent nights | 2 |
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What You'll Learn
The shamash, or helper candle, is lit first
The shamash is lit first to honour its role as the "helper" candle. It is used to light the other eight candles, which represent the eight nights of Hanukkah. The shamash is also known as the "servant" candle. The Hanukkah menorah has eight branches to hold the candles that represent each night of the holiday, plus a ninth branch for the shamash.
The shamash is lit first to symbolise the miracle of the oil that is celebrated during Hanukkah. In the second century BC, the Jews defeated the Greek-Syrians, or Seleucids, who were trying to force them to disavow their religion. After retaking their temple in Jerusalem, the Jews found only enough ritually pure oil to burn for one day, but miraculously, the oil burned for eight days.
The shamash is lit first, and then used to light the other candles, one more on each night of Hanukkah, until on the final night, all eight candles are lit together with the shamash. This ritual commemorates the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days.
The shamash is lit first, and then the blessings are recited. There are three blessings on the first night and two on each subsequent night. The blessings give thanks to God for the commandments and the miracle of Hanukkah. The shamash is lit with a separate candle or flame and used to light the other candles from left to right, with the newest candle of each night lit first.
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Candles are placed in the menorah from right to left
The Hanukkah menorah, or hanukkiah, is a nine-branched candelabrum lit during the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Eight of the nine branches hold candles that symbolize the eight nights of the holiday. The ninth branch holds a candle called the shamash, or \"helper\" candle, which is used to light the other eight.
The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left, but are lit from left to right. On the first night of Hanukkah, the shamash is lit first and used to light the candle in the rightmost spot. On the second night, the candle second from the right is lit first, followed by the candle on the far right, and so on. By the eighth night, all nine candles are lit.
The blessings are said before the candles are lit. In Ashkenazi communities, the shamash candle is lit first, and it is used to light the others, starting with the left-most one. In Sephardi communities, an extra candle is used to light the other candles, and the shamash is lit last.
The menorah is traditionally placed in a window, on a table, or outside the door, to spread light to others. It is often displayed in a window as an act of defiance and bravery in the face of antisemitism. In recent years, some Jewish sects have also held public candle-lighting ceremonies in their communities.
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Blessings are said before the candles are lit
The Hanukkah menorah, or hanukkiah, is a nine-branched candelabrum lit during the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Eight of the nine branches hold candles that symbolize the eight nights of the holiday. On each night, one more candle is lit than the previous night, until on the final night, all eight branches are lit. The ninth branch holds the shamash, or "helper" candle, which is used to light the other eight.
The shamash is lit first, and it is used to light the other candles, starting with the left-most one. The blessings are said before the candles are lit. On the first night of Hanukkah, three blessings are recited, and then two blessings are said on each night thereafter. The blessings are as follows:
- Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who made us holy through your commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.
- Baruch atah, Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, she-asah nisim la’avoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh. Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in those ancient days at this season.
- Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, shehecheyanu, v’kiyimanu, v’higiyanu lazman hazeh. Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has given us life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.
The Hanukkah menorah is traditionally placed in a window, on a table, or outside one's door. The idea is to spread light to others, and in most places, passers-by enjoy seeing the candles. In moments of antisemitism, some Jews have chosen to light the menorah in a window as an act of defiance and bravery.
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On the first night, two candles are placed in the menorah
On the first night of Hanukkah, two candles are placed in the menorah. The shamash, or "helper" candle, is placed in its designated spot, usually in the centre, and another candle is placed in the right-most spot to indicate that it is the first night. The shamash is lit first, and it is used to light the other candle. The candles are lit after sundown, once it is dark. However, there is an exception to this rule. Lighting a fire during Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, is forbidden according to Jewish law. Therefore, on Fridays, the menorah is lit before sunset.
The menorah is traditionally placed in a window, on a table, or outside the front door. It is meant to spread light to others, and in most places, passers-by enjoy seeing the candles. In moments of antisemitism, some Jews have chosen to light the menorah in a window as an act of defiance and bravery.
Before lighting the candles, it is customary to recite three blessings on the first night and then two blessings on each subsequent night. The blessings are said before the candles are lit. The first blessing is:
> Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.
> Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who made us holy through your commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.
The second blessing is:
> Baruch atah, Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, she-asah nisim la’avoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh.
> Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in those ancient days at this season.
The third blessing is:
> Baruch atah Adonai, elohenu melech ha’olam, shehecheyanu, v’kiyimanu, v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.
> Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has given us life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.
On the second night, a third candle is placed in the second spot from the right, and the two right-most candles are lit, starting with the newest candle. This pattern is repeated each night, always lighting the newest candle first, until the eighth night, when all nine candles are lit.
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The miracle of the oil is reenacted by lighting candles for eight nights
Hanukkah commemorates the miracle of the oil, which occurred after the Maccabees' victory over the Greeks in the second century B.C. The Maccabees, led by Judah Maccabee, were a small group of rebels who defeated the mighty Greek-Syrian army. After reclaiming their temple in Jerusalem, the Jews wanted to rededicate it to God by lighting the seven-candle menorah. However, they found only one canister of ritually pure oil, which they believed would last for just one day. Yet, miraculously, the oil burned for eight days.
The miracle of the oil is reenacted each year during Hanukkah by lighting candles for eight consecutive nights. The Hanukkah menorah, or hanukkiah, has nine branches. Eight of these branches represent the eight nights of the holiday, and the ninth branch holds the shamash, or "helper" candle, which is used to light the others. On the first night, the shamash is lit first, followed by one other candle. On the second night, the shamash lights two candles, and so on, until the final night when all eight branches are illuminated.
The candles are typically placed in the menorah from right to left but are lit from left to right. The blessings are recited before the candles are lit, with three blessings on the first night and two on each subsequent night. The menorah is usually placed in a window, on a table, or outside the door, serving as a proud display of Jewish identity.
The lighting of the menorah symbolises the triumph of light over darkness and the enduring nature of the Jewish faith. It is a time-honoured tradition that brings people together and spreads light and joy to the world.
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Frequently asked questions
In the second century B.C., the Jewish people refused to disavow their religion when the Greek-Syrians tried to Hellenize them. Led by Judah Maccabee, a small group of rebels defeated the mighty Greek army. When the Jews returned to their temple in Jerusalem, they found only one canister of ritually pure oil remained. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days.
The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but lit from left to right. The shamash, or "helper" candle, is lit first and used to light the other candles. On the first night, the shamash is used to light one candle, on the second night, two, and so on until the final night when all eight candles are lit.
The menorah is lit just after sundown each night of Hanukkah. On Fridays, the menorah is lit before sundown to avoid lighting on Shabbat.
The menorah is traditionally placed in a window, on a table, or outside the door. It is placed in a window to spread light to others and to publicly display the miracle of Hanukkah.
