Lighting The Menorah For Hanukkah

But it wasn t always that way.

Lighting the menorah for hanukkah.

As with all other jewish rituals the lighting of hanukkah candles goes according to a specific order and has blessings that accompany it. The menorah lamp in modern hebrew is the nine branched candelabra used during the celebration of hanukkah the festival of lights. Hanukkah dreidels hanukkiah and sufganiyot official name hebrew. ח נ כ ה or ח נו כ ה english translation.

The shammash or helper candle which has its own designated spot usually in the center and another candle. Chanukah also spelled hanukah or hannukah is the jewish festival of lights and feast of dedication a joyous holiday that celebrates the miracle of one day s quantity of oil burning for eight days in the menorah in the temple of jerusalem. The menorah has eight branches with candle holders in a long line to represent the hanukkah miracle when the oil that was supposed to last only one day burned for eight days the ninth candle holder which is set apart from the rest of the candles holds the. The chanukah lights can either be candle flames or oil fueled.

Know your timing you re supposed to light the menorah just after dark each night of hanukkah. Since the miracle of chanukah happened with olive oil the little cruse of oil that lasted for eight days an oil menorah is preferable to a candle one and. According to the talmud a late text the temple was purified and the wicks of the menorah. The basic elements of a kosher menorah are eight holders for oil or candles and an additional holder set apart from the rest for the shamash attendant candle.

Establishing or dedication of the temple in jerusalem observed by jews type jewish significance the maccabees successfully rebelled against antiochus iv epiphanes. 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. The central focus of chanukah is the chanukiah the candelabra that many refer to as a menorah though chanukiah is the correct term for the. On the first of hanukkah s eight nights only two candles are placed in the hanukkah menorah also known as a hanukkiah.

In the united states the public display of hanukkiahs and christmas trees on public grounds has been the source of legal battles. President carter hanukkah menorah lighting lafayette park 1979.