Hanukkah Candles: Chanukah Festival of Lights

4to40.com December 2, 2018 Culture & Tradition of India 2,386 Views

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival celebrated annually by Jews all over the world. One of the essential observances of the festival comprises of lighting the candles. Candles are lit by the Jews to commemorate the victory of Maccabees’ soldiers over the mighty Syrian army and the miracle of the oil that lasted in the holy temple for eight days. Another reason for lighting them is in remembrance of the rededication of the holy temple of the Jews. Chanukah candles should be added to the menorah from right to left. Read on to know more about lighting the Hanukkah candles.

Hanukkah Candles: Lighting Chanukah Candles for Festival of Lights

Requirements

One Menorah
Hanukkah candles

It needs to be remembered that the light coming from your candles should be displayed. Try to place your menorah on a location from where every one can see it, such as on the window or in an open door.

Did you know? The story of Hanukkah does not appear in the Torah because the events that inspired the holiday occurred after it was written. It is, however, mentioned in the New Testament, in which Jesus attends a “Feast of Dedication.”

When To Burn

Light the Hanukkah candles at nightfall and allow them to burn for a span of 30 minutes at least. The only exception to this rule is going to be on Friday, due to the Sabbath. On this day, you have light the candles before sunset. You can let them remain lighted even when it grows dark, if you want.

Lighting The Menorah

Saying the Hanukkah blessings has the same importance as lighting the candles. There are three blessings that are recited before the lighting of the menorah. So, make sure you know the Hanukkah blessings before you begin to light the candles. As to the exact procedure of lighting the candles, check out the following lines for information.

Place a candle in the menorah, starting at the far right, on the first night of Hanukkah. Light the central candle, Shamash, which is the service candle, and then light the other candle.
Place two candles at he far right of menorah on the second day. Light the Shamash and then the other two candles using the lit Shamash.
Place three candles on the far right of the menorah on the third day. Light the three candles using an already lit Shamash. Put the Shamash back on the menorah and let it burn.
Similarly, on every next night, the number of candles to be lit will get increased by one and the total number of candles will correspond to the number of Hanukkah night.
On the final night of Hanukkah, which is the eighth night, candles are placed on all the eight slots of the menorah. All the eight candles lighted using the lit Shamash.

The candles should be allowed to burn until they go out on their own.

Interpretations of the Hanukkah Story

Some modern historians offer a radically different interpretation of the Hanukkah tale. In their view, Jerusalem under Antiochus IV had erupted into civil war between two camps of Jews: those who had assimilated into the dominant culture that surrounded them, adopting Greek and Syrian customs; and those who were determined to impose Jewish laws and traditions, even if by force. The traditionalists won out in the end, with the Hasmonean dynasty—led by Judah Maccabee’s brother and his descendants—wresting control of the Land of Israel from the Seleucids and maintaining an independent Jewish kingdom for more than a century.

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