You place the candles in one direction, and you light them in the opposite direction. Each night you add a new candle and always light the newest one first.
Placing the candles
On each night of Hanukkah, place the candles from right to left as you face the menorah. The first night, you put one candle in the far-right holder; on later nights you keep that one and add the new candle just to its left.
Which way you light
You always light using the shamash (the helper candle), not one Hanukkah candle from another. When lighting, start with the newest candle on the left and then move toward the right, so you light from left to right.
Simple rule to remember
Load the candles from right to left. Light the candles from left to right, always beginning with the newest candle for that night.
