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The Hanukkah Menorah is a nine-branched candelabra that is lit on the eight nights of the Hebrew festival of Hanukkah. The holiday therefore carries the name of the Menorah, or Hanukkah Menorah, and its presence is key to the celebration. During each evening of Hanukkah, the Menorah gets another lit candle, and its already burning flames climb higher and higher throughout the festivities until it is lit in full on the eighth night. But just how many candles will be lit up, from the first night to the last?
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In short, a Hanukkah Menorah holds nine candles, including the makeshift “shamash” candle that is used to light all the other eight. The shamash is the tallest of the nine candles and is placed apart from the other eight. The position of the shamash is traditionally in the middle or above the others.
On each night of Hanukkah, the kindling starts off with the shamash. The shamash is used to light the next lowest candle, representing the first night. From that point on, the ceremony of lighting the candles goes from right to left. Those furthest to the right represent the first night while those furthest to the left represent the eighth night. With each night, the number of candles that are lit increases.
The schedule of lighting for the Hanukkah Menorah looks like this:
- The 1st Night – One candle is lit
- The 2nd Night – Two candles are lit
- The 3rd Night – Three candles are lit
- The 4th Night – Four candles are lit
- The 5th Night – Five candles are lit
- The 6th Night – Six candles are lit
- The 7th Night – Seven candles are lit
- The 8th Night – All eight candles, along with the shamash, are lit
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In conclusion, a Hanukkah Menorah holds a total of nine candles, with the shamash candle used to light all the other eight. On each night of the holiday, one more candle is lit, progressively over the course of the festival until all nine arrive at full brightness on the eighth night. The presence of the Menorah lighting is a key part of Hanukkah, and represents the triumph of light and hope over darkness and despair.
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