Start the candle lighting before sunset on Friday night and use long-lasting candles so they burn for at least 30 minutes after the sun sets.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Chanukah.
You can sing the blessing with the traditional tune, or simply recite it. You can also say it in English if you can’t pronounce the Hebrew, though you should use the Hebrew if you can. It’s traditional for others around to say “amen” after each blessing has been recited.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam, she’asah nisim l’avoteinu, b’yamim haheim bazman hazeh. Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who made miracles for our forefathers in those days at this time.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam, shehekheyanu, v’kiyamanu vehegianu lazman hazeh. Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this season.
Light the candles from left to right to acknowledge the new candle representing the new night of Chanukah before the others. Always use the shamash to light the candles. Never use an already lit candle to light the others.
A key part of the Chanukah story is the defeat of the Hellenistic forces by the ancient Jewish Maccabees. The Greeks had taken over the ancient Jewish temple and were trying to smother the Jewish religion. This is why displaying the chanukiah and expressing your Judaism is an integral part of the holiday. [4] X Trustworthy Source Chabad. org Online resource for information related to Chabad-Lubavitch and Jewish culture Go to source Custom says to place the chanukiah in a window to the left of the door, if possible. The chanukiah belongs on the left side of a doorway, opposite the mezuzah on the right side, so that the family can be surrounded by mitzvot (commandments) as they celebrate Chanukah. [5] X Research source
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. If you have to leave the house, let the candles burn for at least 30 minutes after sunset, then extinguish them for safety purposes.
In 2023, Chanukah begins in the evening of Thursday, December 7, and ends in the evening of Friday, December 15.
Including friends and family in the candle lighting ritual a very important aspect of Chanukah. A large part of Judaism is sharing the miracle of Chanukah and passing the tradition onto your children. For this reason, try to include others in the candle lighting! The exception is Friday night, when the menorah should be lit before sunset. This is because Friday night is the start of Shabbat, or the day of rest, and lighting the menorah constitutes as work (which should not be done after Shabbat begins). [9] X Research source
Every night of Chanukah, you place and light the shamash first before the other candles. The word “shamash” means “attendant” in Hebrew, and its elevation away from the other candles is meant to separate it from the candles that represent each day of Chanukah. Its position also alludes to its important role of lighting the other candles. [10] X Research source It doesn’t matter what color candles you use. Some choose traditional blue and white candles, while others prefer differently colored candles![11] X Trustworthy Source Chabad. org Online resource for information related to Chabad-Lubavitch and Jewish culture Go to source The candelabra Jewish people use for Chanukah is actually a “chanukiah,” which has nine branches, not a menorah, which has seven. People incorrectly call the chanukiah a menorah, but they have become accepted as the same thing. If you wish to be technically accurate, call the candelabra a chanukiah. While an electric chanukiah is a great decoration, it can’t be used to properly fulfill the ceremony of Chanukah. You need to use a candle or oil chanukiah to fulfill the mitzvah (the commandment or good deed) of lighting the chanukiah.
For instance, on the second night of Chanukah, place the shamash candle in its slot and the candle representing the first night of Chanukah in the right-most slot. Place the candle representing the second night of Chanukah in the slot next to the previous candle (the second to the right-most slot). On the third night, place the candles as you did on the second night, adding a fourth candle in the slot third to the right.
