How Many Candles Should My Menorah Have Today?
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an important Jewish holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the 2nd century BCE. It commemorates the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire and the subsequent miracle of the temple’s menorah remaining lit for eight days despite only having enough consecrated olive oil for one day.
Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. It typically falls in November or December on the Gregorian calendar. On each night of Hanukkah, a candle is lit on the nine-branched candelabrum called a hanukkiah or menorah. The center candle is the shamash (“servant”), which is used to light the other candles.
The lighting of the menorah and the prayers recited during Hanukkah commemorate the rededication of the Second Temple after the Maccabean revolt. Traditional activities include playing with dreidels, eating oil-cooked foods like latkes and sufganiyot, and the giving of Hanukkah gelt (money/chocolate coins).
Hanukkah represents the triumph of light over darkness, purity over adulteration, and spirituality over materialism. For many Jewish families, it is a beloved tradition and celebration of faith, identity, hope and perseverance.
What is a Menorah?
A menorah is a 9-branched candelabrum that is used during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. The menorah holds 9 candles, one for each night of Hanukkah, with 8 candles representing each of the 8 nights and the 9th candle, called the shamash, being used to light the other candles.
The 8 candles symbolize the miracle of the oil lasting for 8 nights when the Maccabees rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem. The shamash, or “attendant” candle, is set apart from the other 8 candles and is used to light them each night. It reminds us that the menorah lights are sacred and we are not supposed to make use of their light.
Lighting the Menorah
One of the most important and well-known Hanukkah traditions is the lighting of the menorah each night. The menorah used on Hanukkah is called a hanukkiah, and it holds 9 candles. One candle, known as the shamash (“servant”), is used to light the other candles. On the first night, the shamash plus one other candle is lit. On the second night, the shamash plus two candles are lit, and so on.
There are specific rules and blessings that accompany the candle lighting each night. The candles are placed in the hanukkiah from right to left but are kindled from left to right. So, the candle added each night is lit first using the shamash, followed by lighting the previous candles from left to right.
For example, on the fourth night you would light the newest candle first (the one on the far right), then move to light the three candles to the left of it from left to right. This continues each night until all eight candles (not including the shamash) are lit on the eighth and final night of Hanukkah.
Candle Lighting for Each Night
Hanukkah lasts for 8 days and nights. On each night, we light an additional candle in the menorah. So how many candles do we light on the first night?
On the first night of Hanukkah, we light just the Shamash candle (the helper candle used to light the others) plus one candle for the first day. In total, there are 2 candles glowing on the first night of Hanukkah.
The Shamash candle is lit every night to help light the rest. So on the first night, we light the Shamash plus 1 candle for a total of 2 candles glowing brightly.
Candle Lighting for Each Night
Hanukkah lasts for 8 nights. Each night, an additional candle is lit on the menorah. On the second night of Hanukkah, you light 2 candles:
- Light the shamash (the helper candle used to light the other candles) first.
- Then use the shamash to light the candle on the far right side of the menorah.
- Finally, use the shamash to light the candle immediately to the left of the first candle.
The shamash candle should be placed separately from the other candles and at a higher level. On the second night, the menorah has the shamash candle and 2 regular candles lit in total.
Candle Lighting for Each Night
The menorah is lit from right to left, so each night an additional candle is added from the right. On the third night of Hanukkah, three candles total are lit. The shamash candle is lit first and is used to light the other candles. On night three, the shamash and two candles on the right side of the menorah are lit.
To summarize:
- The shamash candle is always lit first before lighting the other candles.
- Candles are added each night from right to left.
- On the third night, the shamash plus two candles on the right are lit, for a total of three candles.
Candle Lighting for Each Night
On the fourth night of Hanukkah, you light four candles. The menorah holds nine candles total – one for each night of the holiday, plus the shamash (helper) candle used to light the others.
To properly celebrate the fourth night:
- Place the menorah on a high surface, away from curtains and other flammables.
- Insert four candles into the menorah, plus the shamash.
- Light the newest candle first using the shamash. On night four, light the newest candle, which is the fourth candle.
- Then light the three candles from previous nights, moving from left to right.
- Recite the blessings before lighting the menorah.
- Place the shamash back in its holder.
- Let the candles burn for at least 30 minutes after dark.
On each successive night, add one more candle. The lighting begins from right to left, but always light the newest candle first. Enjoy the glow of the Hanukkah lights!
Candle Lighting for Each Night
On the fifth night of Hanukkah, you should light 5 candles in your menorah. Here is a summary of the candle lighting for each night of Hanukkah:
On the first night, you light the shamash (helper) candle and one Hanukkah candle. On the second night, you light the shamash candle and two Hanukkah candles, and so on each night – adding one more Hanukkah candle than the previous night.
Therefore, on the fifth night of Hanukkah, you will light a total of five candles plus the shamash candle. This includes lighting the new candle for the current night (5th candle), plus the four candles from the previous nights. In total on the fifth night, your menorah will contain the shamash candle and five Hanukkah candles lit.
Candle Lighting for Each Night
On the sixth night of Hanukkah, you should light six candles in the menorah. Here is how to light the candles on the sixth night:
- Place the menorah on a window sill or somewhere it can be seen outside to publicly acknowledge the Hanukkah miracle.
- Insert six candles into the menorah. Each menorah has eight branches, one for each night of Hanukkah, plus one extra to light the others.
- Arrange the candles in a straight line with the newest candle added each night on the far right.
- Light the newest candle first using the shamash (helper candle). The shamash is separate from the other candles.
- Light the candles from left to right using the shamash. Light the newest candle first, followed by the previous candles from left to right.
- On the sixth night, you will light a total of six candles – the newest candle first, followed by the five candles from previous nights.
- Recite the blessings before lighting the candles.
- Let the candles burn for at least 30 minutes after lighting.
Following this ritual, six candles will be lit in the menorah on the sixth night of Hanukkah.
Candle Lighting for Each Night
The menorah is lit from right to left, so each night an additional candle is added from the left side. On the seventh night of Hanukkah, you light the shamash (the helper candle used to light the other candles), plus the newest candle on the left side and the previous six candles from right to left. So on the seventh night, your menorah should have a total of seven candles lit.
To review, here is how many candles you light each night of Hanukkah:
- Night 1 – Light the shamash plus one candle on the far right
- Night 2 – Light the shamash plus two candles total – the newest on the left, previous one on the right
- Night 3 – Light the shamash plus three candles total
- Night 4 – Light the shamash plus four candles total
- Night 5 – Light the shamash plus five candles total
- Night 6 – Light the shamash plus six candles total
- Night 7 – Light the shamash plus seven candles total
- Night 8 – Light the shamash plus eight candles total
So for the seventh night of Hanukkah, you should have a total of seven candles lit on your menorah – the shamash and six candles from right to left. Enjoy the glow of the Hanukkah lights!
Candle Lighting for Each Night
On the eighth night of Hanukkah, you should light eight candles in the menorah. Here is a summary of the candle lighting for each night of Hanukkah:
On the first night, you light the shamash (helper) candle and one candle on the far right side of the menorah.
On the second night, you light the shamash candle and two candles – the new one for the current night plus the one from the previous night which stays lit.
On the third night, you light three candles – the shamash, the first candle, and a new candle for night three.
On the fourth night, you light four candles – the shamash, the first candle, the second candle, and a new candle for night four.
On the fifth night, you light five candles – the shamash, the first candle, the second candle, the third candle, and a new candle for night five.
On the sixth night, you light six candles – the shamash, the first candle, the second candle, the third candle, the fourth candle, and a new candle for night six.
On the seventh night, you light seven candles – the shamash, the first candle, the second candle, the third candle, the fourth candle, the fifth candle, and a new candle for night seven.
On the eighth and final night of Hanukkah, you light eight candles – the shamash, the first candle, the second candle, the third candle, the fourth candle, the fifth candle, the sixth candle, and a new candle for night eight.
