How to Light a Chanukiah (With Blessings, Lighting Times, & More)

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Plus, discover the best place to position your lit menorah

Co-authored by Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: November 18, 2025 Fact Checked

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Chanukah (also spelled Hanukkah or Hannukkah) is the Jewish Festival of Lights, a fun 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 central focus of Chanukah is the chanukiah, the candelabra that many refer to as a menorah. Keep reading to learn the specific steps for lighting the chanukiah, plus when to light it and where to place it in your home.

The next Hanukkah is the evening of Sunday, December 14 – Monday, December 22, 2025.

The Correct Way to Light a Menorah

Light the shamash, the servant candle, in the middle of the menorah. Next, say the first and second Chanukah blessings. Then, pick up the lit shamash in your dominant hand and light the other candles from right to left. When you're finished, return the shamash to the center slot. Let the candles burn themselves out.

Section 1 of 3:

How to Light a Menorah on Chanukah

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1
Place the shamash in the elevated slot on the menorah. Your menorah has nine slots for candles, with eight slots on one level and one slot elevated above the rest. The elevated slot is for the shamash, the candle you'll use to light all the other Chanukah candles. The word "shamash" means "servant" or "helper" in Hebrew. Its name and position allude to its important role of lighting the other candles.
- Did you know? The candelabra Jewish people use for Chanukah is actually a "chanukiah," which has nine branches, not a menorah, which has seven. People incorrectly call the chanukiah a menorah, but they're now accepted as meaning the same thing. You can use the terms interchangeably.
- It doesn’t matter what color candles you use. Some choose traditional blue and white candles, while others prefer differently colored candles!
- While an electric chanukiah is a great decoration, it can’t be used to properly fulfill the ceremony of Chanukah. You need to use a candle or oil to fulfill the mitzvah (the commandment or good deed) of lighting the chanukiah.
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Add the same number of candles as the current night of Chanukah. On the first night of Chanukah, place a candle in the right-most slot. After the first night of Chanukah, add one more candle to the menorah for each night, starting from the right-most slot and going left.
- For instance, on the second night of Chanukah, place the shamash candle in its slot and the candle representing the first night of Chanukah in the right-most slot. Then, put the candle representing the second night of Chanukah in the slot next to the previous candle (the second to the right-most slot).
- On the third night, place the candles as you did on the second night, adding a fourth candle in the third slot from the right. Repeat this process for all 8 nights of the festival.
- Use new candles every night! Don't reuse candles that have already been lit. In total, you'll use 44 candles if you light the menorah all 8 nights.
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3
Light the shamash. Once the sun is setting, light the shamash candle using a match or a lighter. The shamash is what you will be using to light the other candles, so you should never light the other candles before it.^{[1]
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- On Friday night, light the Chanukah candles before the Shabbat candles.
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Say the first blessing over the candles. Whenever candles are lit in a Jewish ceremony, a blessing is always said over the candle lighting. This is the first blessing that you will say on each night of Chanukah. You can sing it with the traditional tune, or simply recite it. You can also say it in English if you can’t pronounce the Hebrew (though you should use the Hebrew if you can).^{[2]
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- Hebrew blessing: Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Chanukah.
  - English translation: Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Chanukah.
- It’s traditional for others around to say "amen" after each blessing has been recited.
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Recite the second blessing. The second blessing thanks God for the miracles that God performed for the Jewish ancestors. It's recited every night of Chanukah after the candle lighting blessing.^{[3]
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- Hebrew blessing: Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, she’asah nisim l’avoteinu, b’yamim haheim bazman hazeh.
  - English translation: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who made miracles for our forefathers in those days at this time.
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Recite the Shehecheyanu on the first night of Chanukah. If it's the first night of Chanukah, recite the Shehecheyanu after the other two blessings. This is a special blessing that's traditionally said every time you do something for the first time, or do a specific ritual for the first time in this year. Because you're lighting the Chanukah candles for the first time this year, say this blessing on the first night, but not on the following nights of Chanukah.^{[4]
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- Hebrew blessing: Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, shehekheyanu, v’kiyamanu vehegianu lazman hazeh.
  - English translation: Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this season.
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Light the candles with the shamash. After you finish reciting the blessings, pick the shamash candle up with your dominant hand and use it to light the other candle(s). Light the wicks from left to right to acknowledge the new candle representing the new night of Chanukah before the others. In other words, light the newest candle first, then light the candle next to it, and so on.^{[5]
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- Always use the shamash to light the candles! Never use an already lit candle to light the others.
After you finish lighting the candles, place the shamash candle back in the center or the highest slot in your chanukiah. You have just finished lighting your Chanukah menorah!
Instead of blowing out or extinguishing the candles, let them burn down to the wick and snuff out on their own if possible. According to Chanukah tradition, they should burn for at least 30 minutes after sunset. If you have to leave the house before then, time the lighting so they can burn for at least 30 minutes.^{[6]
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Section 2 of 3:

When to Light the Menorah

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1
Begin lighting it in the evening on the 24th day of the month of Kislev. Chanukah begins on the same day of the Jewish calendar each year, the 24th day of the month of Kislev. Because the Jewish and Roman calendars are different, Chanukah begins on a different day each year on the Roman calendar (the one we use in the US).^{[7]
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- Chanukah typically starts and ends sometime in December, although sometimes it begins in November or ends in January.
Chanukah always takes place after Daylight Savings Time ends in the United States. That, and the onset of winter, means the sun sets much earlier in November-December than it does any other time of year. Expect to light the candles of your menorah anywhere from 4-6 PM, depending on where you live in the US and when Chanukah falls in a given year.

Section 3 of 3:

Where should you light the menorah?

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Place the chanukiah in the window. Displaying your lit chanukiah in a window that faces the street in front of your home is a way of proudly showing your Jewish heritage and traditions. Preferably, the window should be to the left of the door as seen from outside. If you don't have a window to put it in, light it in a central location where it's easy for everyone in your household to see (like on the mantel above your fireplace or in the middle of your dining room table).
- Why should you display the chanukiah in the window? A key part of the Chanukah story is the defeat of the Hellenistic forces by the ancient Jewish Maccabees. The Greeks had taken over the Jewish temple and were trying to smother the Jewish religion. This is why displaying the chanukiah and expressing your Judaism is an integral part of the holiday.^{[8]
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- Did you know? Custom says to place the chanukiah in a window to the left of the door, opposite the mezuzah on the right side, so that the family can be surrounded by mitzvot (good deeds) as they celebrate Chanukah.

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What's the soonest I can display the empty menorah? Do I need to wait until the first night of Hanukkah?

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You can have it ready as early as you wish. Lighting it, though, starts on the first night.

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When the first candle is lighted after prayer, do I put off the candle until the last day which all the candles are left to burn down?

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No, you use different candles each night, always letting them burn down.

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Can I light all the candles on the first night and subtract?

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I've heard of people doing this, though it is not common. It makes a certain sense though, as one can consider it the same as the oil slowly being used up. If you're concerned about whether or not it's proper, better ask a rabbi.

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Tips

Place a plate, a tray, or aluminum foil under the candles so the wax doesn't drip onto the surface underneath it.

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For the chanukiah to be kosher, it must have all 8 of the "regular" candles in a line at the same height, and the shamash set apart. As long as this requirement is fulfilled, the chanukiah can be decorated any way you like. Some people even make their own Chanukah menorah as a craft project!

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Keep the candles away from anything flammable, and never leave the burning candles unattended.

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