▷ Who Lights The Hanukkah Candles?

Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish festival which lasts for eight days in December or January. On each night of Hanukkah, a new candle is lit on an eight-branched candelabra, or ‘hanukkiyah’, often called a menorah. The question then is – who lights the Hanukkah candles?

The lighting of the Hanukkah candles is a very important part of the observance of Hanukkah. Traditionally, the oldest persons present at each of the festival’s eight nights lights the candles. If there are several adults present, the lighting of the Hanukkah candles is rotated each night until they have each had the chance to do it.

Parents are usually responsible for ensuring that a grown-up lights the hanukkiyah each night, while the children are usually invited to participate in the lighting of the Hanukkah candles. Even if it is the responsibility of an adult to perform the actual chore of the lighting, children can still assist in this ritual by taking part in preparing the menorah for the lighting. This will usually involve laying out the candles in the right order, wicks in place, and ensuring the matches or lighter is ready.

The Hanukkah candles are set up in the hanukkiyah from left to right, with the shamash, or service candle, slightly higher than and central to the others. On the first night, one candle on the far right side is lit first, and is then used to light the leftmost candle, and each night an extra candle is added to the left until all eight candles are lit.

A Blessing is Said Before Lighting the Candles

Before the hanukkiyah is lit, one of the persons present will say the Hanukkah blessings (ner lay’ ol s’vivon). This is usually done by the person lighting the Hanukkah candles, or if they are too young by an adult in the family.

The Blessing for Lighting One Candle

The blessing that is said each night for lighting the Hanukkah candles is different depending on whether one or more candles are being lit.

For Lighting One Candle:

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us to kindle the festival lights.

The Blessing for Lighting Two or More Candles

The blessing for lighting two or more candles on the same night is:

For Lighting Two or More Candles:

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days, in this season.

A challenge that comes with each night of lighting the Hanukkah candles is deciding exactly when it should be done.

It is recommended that the menorah should be lit as soon as it gets dark, or around when the stars are visible, whichever is earlier. This is known in Jewish law as ‘Tzait Hakochavim’, when three ‘medium sized’ stars appear in the sky.

When lighting the Hanukkah candles, the person lighting them should aim to do it in a clockwise direction, and with a lot of joy. After the menorah is lit, the individual should then recite the blessing for lighting the Hanukkah candles, accompanying it with an optional song if desired.

Hanukkah is such a special time of year and is celebrated with immense joy. Lighting the Hanukkah candles is an important part of the traditional celebrations and is a wonderful way to bring the whole family together. At the end of the eight days, gathering around your lit hanukkiyah with family, friends, and neighbors is one of the many special blessings of the season.

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