What days do you light the menorah?

Step 1: Know Your Timing You’re supposed to light the menorah just after dark each night of Hanukkah. (However, many families wait until everyone is home together, and light it then.) On Fridays, the menorah is lit before dark to avoid lighting on Shabbat.

How early can you light Chanukah candles?

Chanukah candles should be lit within a half hour of nightfall. This is because in previous generations there was virtually no more traffic in the streets by a half hour after nightfall.

Can you light Hanukkah candles late?

If one is late and in doubt, it is better not to light Chanukah or Shabbat candles than to risk violating Shabbat. In Jerusalem, where the practice is to light Shabbat candles 40 minutes before sunset, there is an accepted custom to delay 15 to 20 minutes so that one’s Chanukah candles need not be lit so early.

Who should light the Hanukkah candles?

Most sources agree that we put the candles in from the right side, then light the newest candle first which means that we light from left to right. In this way, our hand never crosses over or casts a shadow on the lights of the candles, but only if we are using our right hand to light the candles.

What do the candles represent on the menorah?

Light the Menorah Eight candles symbolize the number of days that the Temple lantern blazed; the ninth, the shamash, is a helper candle used to light the others.

Which is the correct way to light the Menorah?

Step 5: Light Right to Left, but Left to Right There are eight candles to light. On the first night of Hanukkah, place a candle in the holder on the far right, and light it with the shamash.

When do you put a candle in the Hanukkah menorah?

At nightfall, on the first evening of the Hanukkah holiday, put a candle into the holder at the far right of the menorah as you face it. Light the shamash, the candle used to light the others, and recite the three Hanukkah blessings. Never use the Hanukkah candles to light each other.

Where do you place the Shamash on a Chanukah menorah?

Place one candle in this elevated spot. Every night of Chanukah, you place and light the shamash first before the other candles. The word “shamash” means “attendant” in Hebrew, and its elevation away from the other candles is meant to separate it from the candles that represent each day of Chanukah.

When to light the Shamash on Hanukkah?

At nightfall, on the first evening of the Hanukkah holiday, put a candle into the holder at the far right of the menorah as you face it. Light the shamash, the candle used to light the others, and recite the three Hanukkah blessings.