▷ How Many Candles To Light Tonight For Hanukkah?

The celebration of Hanukkah is a joyous occasion, and one of the most important elements of the holiday are the kindling of the menorah candles. But with so many days of Hanukkah, it’s worth asking exactly how many candles to light tonight.

Table of Contents

1 Lighting the Menorah for Hanukkah

Lighting the Menorah for Hanukkah

Lighting the menorah is an important part of the celebration of Hanukkah, and the availability of candles for the lighting and blessings is an essential part of the holiday. For those unfamiliar with the customs of Hanukkah, here is a basic guide.

How Many Candles for Hanukkah?

In general, one is supposed to light eight candles on each night of Hanukkah. This starts with one candle on the first night, two candles on the second, and so on until eight candles are lit on the eighth night.

The rules for the placement of the candles on the menorah are as follows: the first candle is the Shamash, or helper candle, placed outside the other eight candles, usually in the middle or at the other end of the menorah. The Shamash is lit first and then used to light the rest of the candles from left to right, one candle at a time.

In Orthodox and many other traditions, the two middle candles on the menorah are lit first, followed by the candle to the right of the two middle candles, and then moving left with the rest of the candles. All eight candles should be lit each night of Hanukkah.

Which Candles To Light Tonight?

If it is the first night of Hanukkah, then one would light one candle. On the second night, two candles would be lit, and so on, until all eight candles are lit on the eighth night. It is important to note that if one has not lit any candles on earlier nights, then all eight should still be lit on the eighth night.

Blessings After Lighting The Candles

In some traditions, a blessing is said after lighting the menorah candles. The blessings for each night of Hanukkah are different, but all include thanking God for the miracle of the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, and for the amazing light of the menorah that lasted for eight days on a single day’s portion of oil.

Four Special Shabbat Candle Blessings

When lighting on the Shabbat of Hanukkah, special blessings are said before and after lighting. These blessings include mentioning Shabbat and Hanukkah together.

Adding Another Set of Candles to the Menorah

In some traditions, a set of nine candles are used, including an additional Shamash candle. In this tradition, on the first night of Hanukkah, two candles are lit instead of one, with the first candle being the Shamash. As the holiday progresses, the additional candle is moved to the right. On the eighth night of Hanukkah, nine candles are lit, including the two Shamash candles.

Lighting the menorah for Hanukkah is an important part of the celebration, but it can be confusing trying to remember which candles to light and how many. As a general rule, one should light eight candles on each night of Hanukkah, and the Shamash candle is lit first and used to light the others. Special blessings should be said on the Shabbat of Hanukkah, and some traditions involve an additional Shamash candle, requiring one to light nine candles on the eighth night.

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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.