Hanukkah Menorah

Jewish holidays · candles · traditions

Nine total branches. A Hanukkah menorah has eight branches for the holiday nights plus one special extra branch called the shamash.

One light each night. On the first night of Hanukkah, you light one candle, on the second night you light two, and you keep adding one more each night until all eight are glowing on the final night.

The shamash lights the others. The ninth branch holds a candle called the shamash, and this special candle is used to light all of the other eight candles during the holiday.

Eight nights celebrated. The eight branches represent the eight nights of Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday that honors a special historical event in Jewish history.