Does a menorah have to stay lit?

Make sure that they burn for at least a half an hour after sunset. If you have to leave the house, time it so that they burn for at least 30 minutes after you have lit them. If it is Shabbat, use long-lasting candles and make sure that they burn for at least a half an hour after the sun sets.

Does the helper candle stay lit?

They do this for eight days, but most of them miss the significance of the shamash, the helper candle, used to light all the others. It stays lit just in case any of the other candles go out and need to be rekindled.

How many candles should be lit on the menorah as of today?

On the first night, we light one candle (plus a “helper” candle, called the shamash). Using the shamash, we light two on the second night, three on the third night, and so on, until all nine candles are aglow on the eighth and final night.

What order do you light Hanukkah candles?

Left to rightHanukkah / Candle lighting direction

What time do you light Hanukkah candles?

When to Light Chanukah candles should be lit within a half hour of nightfall. This is because in previous generations there was virtually no more traffic in the streets by a half hour after nightfall.

Why is it called menorah?

The menorah—“lamp stand” in Hebrew—has been the pre-eminent symbol of Jews and Judaism for millennia. It is the oldest continuously used religious symbol in Western civilization. Since biblical times, the seven-branched menorah has symbolized Judaism.

How do you celebrate the first night of Hanukkah?

On the first night of Hanukkah one light (candle or oil) is lit on the right side of the menorah, on the following night a second light is placed to the left of the first but it is lit first, and so on, proceeding from placing candles right to left but lighting them from left to right over the eight nights.