You light the menorah once each night of Hanukkah, using the helper candle (shamash) to light the others and adding one new light each night. The candles are placed right to left, but you always light the newest one first, from left to right.
Basic setup
- Use a Hanukkah menorah with eight spots in a straight row plus a separate higher or lower holder for the shamash (helper candle).
- Place it on a stable, fireproof surface where the light can be seen, such as a window or near a doorway, away from curtains or anything flammable.
When to light
- Light the menorah after dark each night of Hanukkah, and let the candles burn at least about 30 minutes after nightfall so the lights are visible.
- On Friday night, light the menorah before candle‑lighting for Shabbat and use longer‑burning candles or more oil so they last long enough.
Placing and lighting candles
- Night 1: Put one candle in the holder at the far right as you face the menorah; each following night add a new candle to the left of the previous ones.
- Light the shamash first, say the Hanukkah blessings, then use the shamash to light the candles, starting with the newest (left‑most) candle and moving to the right; do not use one Hanukkah candle to light another.
Night‑by‑night pattern
- Night 1: Shamash + 1 candle (far right).
- Night 2: Shamash + 2 candles (new one to the left, light left then right).
- Continue adding one new candle each night, always placing new candles from right to left but lighting from left to right, until all eight are lit on the last night.
If you want, a follow‑up can go through the blessings (in Hebrew, transliteration, and translation) or special rules for specific situations.
