The holidays can bring many opportunities for celebrating with family, friends and those we love. And since we cannot choose which holidays come first, we can make them special and meaningful with the right preparation and understanding. One of the most popular Jewish holidays is Hanukkah, and it does not pass without its traditional rituals: lighting the menorah and singing traditional songs. But how do you light the menorah with nine candles in order and what should you say while lighting the candles? Read below to find out!
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Lighting Hanukkah Candles In Order
Hanukkah is a very special 8-day Jewish festival. Each night, a 9-branched candelabrum or menorah is lit with candles. To show the progress of the holiday and to allow the celebration of the days, the candles are lit every evening in a special Order.
The Order of Lighting the Candles
On the first night of Hanukkah, one candle is lit and put in the furthest right-hand side of the menorah. On the second night, two candles are lit – one on the right and the second one on the left. This order is repeated throughout the 8-day holiday, adding each time one more candle to the left of the already lit candles.
The Blessing
The traditional blessing over the lighting of the Hanukkah candles is:
- “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights”.
The blessing is said before lighting the middle candle (the shamash). During the festive recitation of this blessing words like baruch (blessed) and m’kor (from) should be pronounced louder and more distinctly than the other words.
How to Light Each Candle
After reciting the blessing, the middle candle (the shamash) is lit first. You should light it from right to left (which is the opposite of the order in which the candles are lit throughout the rest of the Hanukkah).
Once the shamash is lit, proceed to light each of the candles after it. After lighting each candle you should say:
- “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days, at this time”.
You should light the candles with your right hand. There is no specific order as to how to move to the next candle (left, right, center, etc.), as long as the next candle has not been lit. After the candles are lit, the recital of grace after meals is said.
Lighting the Hanukkah candles is an important part of the celebration of the Jewish festival. By carefully following the correct order and saying the traditional blessing you can make this ritual both spiritual and meaningful. So gather your family and friends, light the candles in good cheer and remember the miracles that happened long ago.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.