The candelabrum lit during Hanukkah is properly called a Hanukkiah, which is distinct from the seven-branched Menorah used in the ancient Temple. This nine-branched lamp is the central symbol commemorating the miracle of Hanukkah, known as the Festival of Lights. Lighting the Hanukkiah is a public declaration, Pirsumei Nissa, proclaiming the ancient miracle where sacred oil for the Temple Menorah miraculously burned for eight days instead of one. The ritual of adding a flame each night emphasizes the growing nature of the miracle.
The Duration of the Holiday
The Hanukkah festival is observed for eight nights and days, reflecting the miraculous eight-day burning of the oil found during the re-dedication of the Holy Temple. The holiday begins annually on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, a date fixed on the lunisolar Hebrew calendar. Because the Hebrew calendar is not synchronized with the solar Gregorian calendar, the starting date of Hanukkah shifts each year for Western observers.
The first night of the holiday begins at sundown and can fall anywhere from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar. This variation means that the eight days of Hanukkah sometimes overlap with other winter holidays. However, the observance is always fixed to the 25th of Kislev, regardless of the corresponding secular date.
The Exact Time of Day for Lighting
The most common time for lighting the Hanukkiah is immediately after nightfall, known in Jewish law as Tzeit HaKochavim, or the appearance of the stars. This timing fulfills the public proclamation of the miracle, ensuring the lights are visible when people are active outside and the darkness makes the flames apparent. The exact moment of Tzeit HaKochavim varies among legal authorities, typically falling 13 to 30 minutes after sunset, depending on local custom.
If the optimal time is missed, the lights may still be kindled later into the night, provided that members of the household are still awake to witness the act. This flexibility acknowledges modern life, though the ideal remains lighting at the earliest opportunity after nightfall. The candles or oil must burn for at least 30 minutes after the optimal lighting time to ensure the miracle is adequately publicized.
The timing shifts substantially on Friday evening because of the approaching Sabbath, which prohibits kindling a fire after sunset. On this night, the Hanukkiah must be lit before the Sabbath candles are lit, meaning the lighting occurs before sunset. To satisfy the requirement that the lights burn into the night, larger candles or enough oil must be used to ensure the flames last for at least 30 minutes after nightfall.
On Saturday evening, known as Motza’ei Shabbat (the departure of the Sabbath), the lighting of the Hanukkiah is delayed until after Shabbat officially concludes at nightfall. The custom often involves first performing the Havdalah ceremony, which ritually separates the Sabbath from the rest of the week. Some communities, however, light the Hanukkiah immediately at nightfall and perform Havdalah afterward, ensuring the lights are kindled as soon as the Sabbath ends.
The Proper Sequence and Blessings
The ritual lighting involves a helper candle, called the Shamash, which is lit first and used to kindle the other flames. The Shamash is positioned separately, often higher or lower than the other eight lights, so its flame is not counted among the main Hanukkah candles. Using the Shamash prevents deriving practical benefit from the sacred Hanukkah lights, which are meant only for publicizing the miracle.
The physical placement of the candles follows a specific pattern each night. The new candle is added to the Hanukkiah from right to left, starting with one candle on the first night and adding one each subsequent night. The kindling itself reverses this direction: the Shamash lights the newest candle first (the leftmost one) and then proceeds from left to right.
Before the candles are lit, specific blessings, or Berakhot, are recited while standing. On the first night of Hanukkah, three blessings are recited: a blessing over the commandment to light the lights, a blessing acknowledging the miracles performed for the ancestors, and the Shehecheyanu blessing, which expresses gratitude for reaching the season. On every night after the first, only the first two blessings are recited, as the Shehecheyanu applies only to the initial observance.