In 2020, Hanukkah begins at sundown on Thursday, December 10 , and continues through Friday, December 18. The first candle is lit on the Chanukiah
What is the first night to light Hanukkah candles?
On the first night of Hanukkah one light (candle or oil) is lit on the right side of the menorah , on the following night a second light is placed to the left of the first but it is lit first, and so on, proceeding from placing candles right to left but lighting them from left to right over the eight nights.
Are you supposed to light all the candles on the first night of Hanukkah?
A: The candles are lighted in the opposite direction from how they are placed in the chanukiah. They are lighted from left to right, so that the newest candle is always lighted first . The helper candle, or shamash, is lighted first, and that candle is used to light all the other candles.
What does the 7 candle menorah mean?
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.
What do the 8 days of Hanukkah stand for?
Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew . The eight-day holiday celebrates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after it was retaken by the Maccabees, a group of Jewish warriors, from the Greeks in the 2nd century BCE, as explained by Tablet magazine.
Do you put all the candles in the menorah at once?
Add the other candles.
Every night of Chanukah, you add one more candle. On the first night of Chanukah, place a candle in the right-most slot . After the first night of Chanukah, add one candle for each night, starting from the right-most slot and going left.
Which candle is lit first on the menorah?
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.
Is it OK to say Happy Hanukkah?
What is the proper greeting for Hanukkah? To wish someone a Happy Hanukkah, say “Hanukkah Sameach!” (Happy Hanukkah) or simply “Chag Sameach!” (Happy Holiday). Or if you want to show off your Hebrew skills, say “Chag Urim Sameach!” (urim means “lights”).
Why is there 9 candles in menorah?
Light the Menorah
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.
Is the menorah 7 or 9 candles?
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.
Why does a menorah have 7 branches?
Since biblical times, the seven-branched menorah has symbolized Judaism . ... For many Jews in antiquity, the menorah's seven branches represented the five visible planets, plus the sun and the moon, and its rounded branches suggested their trajectories across the heavens.
What are the 3 Hanukkah blessings?
The traditional Hanukkah candle lighting service consists of saying all three blessings on the first night, and only the first and second blessings for the seven nights to follow. Transliteration: Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tsivanu l'hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.
Why is the menorah lit for 8 days?
In order to rededicate the temple, the Maccabees had to light a menorah that would burn within the temple at all times. However, they only had enough pure olive oil to last for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days , leaving time to find a fresh supply of oil.
What happens on each day of Hanukkah?
During Hanukkah, on each of the eight nights, a candle is lit in a special menorah (candelabra) called a ‘hanukkiyah' . ... On the first night one candle is lit, on the second night, two are lit until all are lit on the eighth and final night of the festival. Traditionally they are lit from left to right.
How many candles should be lit for Hanukkah today?
The eight candles representing each night of the holiday are in a straight line of the same height, with the shammash or helper candle raised above or separate from the rest. The flames are lit from left to right, with the newest candle lit first.
What are Hanukkah symbols?
- Hanukkiah. The most famous symbol of Hanukkah is the hanukkiah, the nine-branched candelabra which is lit each night, and can often be seen in house windows. ...
- Shammash. ...
- Dreidel (or sevivon) ...
- Hanukkah ‘gelt' ...
- Fried food. ...
- Maccabees.
