Ben Carter
Havdalah is a ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat and the transition to the week ahead. It involves wine, spices, and a braided candle with at least three wicks, which symbolize the unity, strength, and love that bind the Jewish people together. The candle is an integral part of the ceremony, and making your own Havdalah candle can be a meaningful activity for families, especially those with young children. The process involves cutting and warming sheets of beeswax, placing the wicks, and braiding the candle. The number of colours and strands in the braid can vary, allowing for creativity and personal expression.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of strands | 3 or 5 |
| Braid type | Simple or French |
| Wick material | Cotton |
| Wick length | 9 inches |
| Wax type | Beeswax |
| Wax length | 8 inches |
| Wax width | 2 inches |
| Wax colour | Red, orange, yellow, blue, green |
| Hairdryer setting | Low |
| Hairdryer time | 15-20 seconds |
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What You'll Learn
Choosing colours for your candle
Choosing the colours for your Havdalah candle is an important step in the candle-making process. Havdalah, meaning "separation" in Hebrew, marks the conclusion of Shabbat and the transition to a new week. The ceremony involves engaging the senses through wine or grape juice, fragrant spices, and the light of a braided candle.
When selecting colours for your candle, consider the symbolism and personal preferences. Each colour in the braid can represent a specific meaning or theme. For example, warm colours like red, orange, and yellow are perfect for the harvest season, evoking a sense of warmth and abundance. Cool tones like blue and green are ideal for seedtime, representing growth and renewal. You can also choose colours that hold personal significance or match your home decor.
The number of colours you choose will depend on the number of strands you want to braid. A traditional Havdalah candle has at least three wicks, symbolising the unity, strength, and love that bind the Jewish people together. If you're making a three-strand braid, you'll need three different colours of wax sheets or flexible candles. For a more complex braid, such as a five-strand pattern, you can incorporate additional colours or repeat certain colours to create a unique design.
When selecting colours, consider the overall aesthetic you want to achieve. You can opt for complementary colours that create a harmonious look or go for a bold contrast to make your candle stand out. You can also experiment with different shades of the same colour to create a monochromatic design. If you're crafting with children, let them choose their favourite colours to make the activity more engaging and personalised.
Additionally, you can choose colours that hold symbolic meaning for you and your family. For example, using shades of blue to represent the waters of creation or incorporating gold or silver to symbolise light and spirituality. You can also use colours to represent different Jewish holidays or occasions, such as using white and blue for Hanukkah or incorporating autumnal colours for Rosh Hashanah.
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Preparing your materials
Havdalah, meaning "separation" in Hebrew, marks the conclusion of Shabbat and the transition to a new week. The Havdalah ceremony includes blessings, wine or grape juice, spices, and a braided candle. The three wicks of the candle symbolise the diversity of the Jewish people, woven together in unity, strength, and love.
To prepare your materials for braiding a Havdalah candle, you will need a few key items. These include:
- Beeswax: You will need a sheet of beeswax, which will be cut into strips to create the individual strands of the braid. The wax is stiff, so it needs to be warmed slightly to make it more pliable and easier to work with.
- Candlewick: Cut three pieces of cotton candlewick, each about 9 inches long. The wicks should be slightly longer than the wax strips to ensure they extend beyond the candle when finished.
- Hairdryer: A hairdryer is used to gently warm the beeswax and make it more pliable. Set the hairdryer to a low setting to avoid overheating the wax.
- Ruler and knife: Use a ruler to measure and cut the beeswax into strips of uniform size. A craft knife, such as a Kraft knife, is ideal for cutting the wax.
- Scissors: Scissors are needed to cut the candlewick to the appropriate length.
- Braiding tools: You can use a clip or similar tool to help with the braiding process and hold the strands in place.
Optional materials include pre-coloured wax sheets, allowing for creativity and personal preference or seasonal colours. For example, warm colours like red, orange, and yellow are perfect for the harvest season, while cool tones like blue and green are beautiful for seedtime.
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Braiding techniques
Havdalah, meaning "separation" in Hebrew, marks the conclusion of Shabbat. The ceremony involves wine, fragrance, and a braided candle with at least three wicks, representing the diversity of the Jewish people woven together in unity, strength, and love.
The following are some braiding techniques for a Havdalah candle:
Three-strand braid
Lay three pieces of wax side by side on a table. Warm them gently with a hairdryer. Start on the far right side and braid downwards. When you reach the end, gently press the three ends together and trim the wicks to 1/2 inch long.
Five-strand braid
For a five-strand braid, focus on moving the outermost strands towards the centre as you braid.
No-heat method
Some candles are flexible and can be bent back and forth without heat. You can braid these candles without warming them first.
Multi-colour braids
You can use different coloured wax sheets to create a multi-coloured Havdalah candle. Each colour can represent one braid in the candle, with warm colours like red, orange, and yellow perfect for harvest season, and cool tones like blue and green beautiful for seedtime.
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Final touches
Once you have finished braiding your Havdalah candle, there are a few more steps to take before it is ready for use. Firstly, gently warm the beeswax with a hairdryer on a low setting to soften it and make it more pliable. This will help the wax hold its shape and ensure that your braid stays intact. You can also use a heat gun or a heat lamp for this step if you have one available.
After warming the wax, carefully bend the edge of the long side of the wax upwards to create a small lip. This will help to hold the wick in place. Cut your candle wicks about 1 inch longer than the wax strips, and place them into the little bend you just created. You can use a Kraft knife or scissors to cut the wicks to the perfect length.
Now it's time to trim your candle wicks! Trim them so that they are all the same length, about 1/2 inch long. Your Havdalah candle is now ready for use in your ceremony. Remember to say the blessing when lighting the candle:
> Baruch atah, Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha’olam, boray me’oray ha’aysh.
After the Havdalah ceremony, you can wish your family and friends ""Shavua tov" (may you have a good week)!
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The meaning of Havdalah
Havdalah is a Jewish religious ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat and ushers in the new week. Shabbat ends on Saturday night after the appearance of three stars in the sky. The ceremony involves lighting a special candle with several wicks, blessing a cup of wine, and smelling sweet spices. The word Havdalah means "separation" in Hebrew, and the ceremony is a symbolic act of separating the holy from the mundane or everyday. It is a multisensory experience that includes fire, spices, and wine.
The ceremony begins with the leader reciting a series of nine joyful quotes from the Hebrew Bible while grasping a cup of kosher grape juice or wine. The hagafen blessing, which is always said before drinking wine, is then recited, and everyone responds with "Amen". The reader then says another short blessing, followed by "Amen" again. Everyone then takes a whiff of aromatic herbs, oils, or spices. After the next blessing, everyone responds with "Amen" once more and holds their hands up to the candle, gazing at the reflection of the light in their fingers. Some people also look into the eyes of those near them to see the light reflected there.
After the final blessing, the wine is drunk, and the candle is extinguished by pouring the leftover wine into a small dish and dipping a finger into it to touch the eyes or pockets. This is done as a sign that the candle was lit solely for the mitzvah of Havdalah. The wine is considered a "segulah," or good omen, because it was used for a mitzvah. After the ceremony, it is customary to sing "Eliyahu Hanavi" ("Elijah the Prophet") and/or "HaMavdil Bein Kodesh LeChol" ("Who separates Holy from ordinary/weekday"), and to bless one another with "shavua tov" (Hebrew) or "a gute vokh" (Yiddish), meaning "Have a good week".
Havdalah is recited at the conclusion of biblical holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover (Pesach), and Shavuot. It is also recited at the conclusion of the Festival if it does not fall immediately after the Sabbath. However, when recited after Saturday night, the blessings of the spices and candle are omitted, and only the blessings on the wine and the Havdalah itself are recited.
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Frequently asked questions
A Havdalah candle is a braided candle used in a ceremony that marks the conclusion of Shabbat and the start of a new week. The ceremony takes place on Saturday evening when three stars are visible in the night sky.
You will need a sheet of beeswax, a ruler, a Kraft knife, scissors, cotton candle wicks, and a hairdryer. You can also purchase a candle-making kit that includes pre-coloured sheets, wicks, and instructions.
Cut three pieces of wax that are approximately 2 inches wide and 8 inches long. Cut three pieces of wick about 9 inches long. Warm the wax with a hairdryer on a low setting for 15-20 seconds. Lay the three pieces of wax side by side on a table. Start braiding from the right, going down the candle. Press the ends together and trim the wicks to 1/2 inch long.
