Do you use new candles every night of Hanukkah?
On the first night of Hanukkah, there are usually only two candles on your hanukkiyah: the shamash in the center, and the first night's candle. Each night, add a new candle before lighting.
The menorah has one candle for each night of Hanukkah, which is celebrated for eight nights. There will be an extra candle in the middle, known as the shamash, which is used to light the other candles.
The candles should be placed from right to left. On the first night, there should be one candle on the far right of the chanukiah, plus the shamash. On the second night, there should be two candles on the right, plus the shamash, and so on.
Jewish families celebrate this holiday by lighting a special Hanukkah menorah, a candelabrum with holders for 8 candles, one for each day of celebration, plus a ninth, the shammash or “server”, used to light the others during Hanukkah.
If the lights are still burning beyond this half hour, one may extinguish them, though there are those whose practice is not to extinguish them no matter how long they burn. The most important part of the Chanukah menorah is the lighting. Candles must therefore be lit in a place that is fit for doing so.
On the first night, we light one candle (plus a “helper” candle, called the shamash). Using the shamash, we light two on the second night, three on the third night, and so on, until all nine candles are aglow on the eighth and final night. This is why Hanukkah is often called the “festival of lights.”
Hanukkah is celebrated in several ways. In addition to lighting each day one candle on the menorah, religious rituals can include daily reading of Scripture, recitation of some of the Psalms, almsgiving, and singing of a special hymn.
The Jewish Festival of Rededication, also called the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day celebration that falls each year on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev, which generally falls in December in the Gregorian calendar. (In 2022, Hanukkah is December 18 through December 26.)
On the first night of Hanukkah, place a candle in the holder on the far right, and light it with the shamash. Then put the shamash back in its spot (leaving it lit). On the second night, light the candle second from the right, then the candle on the far right, and replace the lit shamash.
What do you say when you light Hanukkah candles?
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b-mitzvotav, v-tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. Blessed are you, Our God, Ruler of the Universe, who makes us holy through Your commandments, and commands us to light the Hanukkah lights.
Eight candles symbolize the number of days that the Temple lantern blazed; the ninth, the shamash, is a helper candle used to light the others. Families light one candle on the first day, two on the second (and so on) after sundown during the eight days of Hanukkah, while reciting prayers and singing songs.

Lighting the Hanukkah candles
To commemorate the oil that miraculously lasted for eight days, modern-day Jewish families recite blessings and light candles on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. Candles are placed in a menorah (sometimes a hanukkiah), with the number of lights increasing each night.
Hanukkah for the year 2021 is celebrated/ observed on sundown of November 28 ending at sundown on Monday, December 6. Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish festival with the first day known as Chanukah, Festival of Lights, and Feast of Dedication.
The last day of Hanukkah is the eighth day of Hanukkah. It is known as Zose Hanukkah, Zos Hanukkah or Zot Hanukkah. It is the second day of the month of Tevet and marks the day on which the great miracle of oil occurred, according to Jewish belief.
Make sure that they burn for at least a half an hour after sunset. If you have to leave the house, time it so that they burn for at least 30 minutes after you have lit them. If it is Shabbat, use long-lasting candles and make sure that they burn for at least a half an hour after the sun sets.
“People leave [the menorah] out all year round; they don't just take it out during Hanukkah,” Ms. Sternberg observed, adding, “A menorah lasts forever. That's why people like to invest in a nice menorah.”
Menorahs were lit daily using olive oil of the purest quality. A hanukkiyah is a Hanukkah menorah used specifically to light the candles (often used today instead of oil) on Hanukkah. With nine branches, it is lit each night to celebrate the miracle of oil lasting eight days.
The seven lamps allude to the branches of human knowledge, represented by the six lamps inclined inwards towards, and symbolically guided by, the light of God represented by the central lamp. The menorah also symbolizes the creation in seven days, with the center light representing the Sabbath.
The shamash or shammus is the "helper candle". It is the ninth candle for the Hanukkah menorah, also known as the Hanukkiah/Chanukiah. It is lit before the prayers are said and the other candles are lit. Shemash was the ancient Babylonian sun-god.
What is the Hanukkah candle holder called?
menorah, also spelled menora, multibranched candelabra, used in the religious rituals of Judaism, that has been an important symbol in both ancient and modern Israel.
There are at least 44 candles in each box of Hanukkah candles, enough for one person to light the hanukkiyah (see item six on this list) according to tradition every night. Some boxes include extra candles as they tend to break easily.
Hanukkah's main ritual is the lighting of a menorah, a candelabra with nine candleholders, lit during the eight nights of the holiday. On the first night two candles are lit: the shamash, “servant,” which is used to light the other candle. On the second night, three candles are lit: the shamash and two others.
How to Keep Hanukkah Candles from Tipping Over - YouTube
Hanukkah is a Jewish Holiday which is celebrated over 8 nights. In many Jewish families, each night comes with gifts and a special tradition along with lighting the Menorah.
Lighting the Hanukkah candles
To commemorate the oil that miraculously lasted for eight days, modern-day Jewish families recite blessings and light candles on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. Candles are placed in a menorah (sometimes a hanukkiah), with the number of lights increasing each night.
Step 3: Light the Shamash The candle that is raised or in the center of the menorah is the shamash (helper candle). It's the one you use to light the other candles. Light it first. (Don't use any of the other candles to light the others.)
A menorah, which has only seven candleholders, was the lamp used in the ancient holy temple in Jerusalem — now a symbol of Judaism and an emblem of Israel. A Hanukkiah, however, has nine candlesticks — one for each night of Hanukkah and an extra one to light the others.
Make sure that they burn for at least a half an hour after sunset. If you have to leave the house, time it so that they burn for at least 30 minutes after you have lit them. If it is Shabbat, use long-lasting candles and make sure that they burn for at least a half an hour after the sun sets.
The centerpiece of the Hanukkah celebration is the hanukkiah or menorah, a candelabra that holds nine candles. Eight candles symbolize the number of days that the Temple lantern blazed; the ninth, the shamash, is a helper candle used to light the others.
What do you say on the first night of Hanukkah?
On the first night of Hanukkah add this blessing: Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, shehecheyanu v-ki'y'manu v-higianu la-z'man ha-zeh. Blessed are you, Our God, Ruler of the Universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.
Hanukkah is celebrated in several ways. In addition to lighting each day one candle on the menorah, religious rituals can include daily reading of Scripture, recitation of some of the Psalms, almsgiving, and singing of a special hymn.
DB: The best way to get wax off of a silver menorah is to place it in the sink and to pour several rounds of boiling water over it. Then, use a soft sponge to apply silver polish over the menorah. After that, use a different sponge to clean it with dish soap.
The candles are placed on the menorah from right to left, the same direction in which one reads Hebrew. However, when lighting the menorah you move in the opposite direction, using the shamash to the light the candles from left to right.
The Jewish Festival of Rededication, also called the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day celebration that falls each year on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev, which generally falls in December in the Gregorian calendar. (In 2022, Hanukkah is December 18 through December 26.)
The last day of Hanukkah is the eighth day of Hanukkah. It is known as Zose Hanukkah, Zos Hanukkah or Zot Hanukkah. It is the second day of the month of Tevet and marks the day on which the great miracle of oil occurred, according to Jewish belief.
English | Chanukah/Hanukkah (first day), Festival of Lights (first day) |
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Arabic | حانوكا |
German | Chanukka (erster Tag) |
Hebrew | חֲנֻכָּה |
Korean | 하누카 |