1st night Chanukah – Wednesday 25th December
After dark, place one candle on the right of the Chanukiah and say blessings I, II & III before lighting. Then light using the Shamash (servant candle).
2nd night Chanukah – Thursday 26th December
After dark, place two candle on the right of the Chanukiah and say blessings I & II before lighting. Then light using the Shamash (servant candle).
3rd night Chanukah – Friday night 27th December
Place three candles, large enough to burn for half an hour after dark, on the right of the Chanukiah and say blessings I & II before lighting. Light using the Shamash. Then light Shabbat candles all before 3.42pm
4th night Chanukah – Saturday night 28th December
After Shabbat ends (4.52pm) place four candles on the right of the Chanukiah and say blessings I & II before lighting. Then light from left to right using the Shamash.
Each subsequent night, add an additional candle on the right of the Chanukiah and say blessings I & II before lighting. Then light from left to right using the Shamash.
Before lighting the candles, say these blessings:
- Baruch Atah Ado-noi Elo-heinu Melech Ha’olam Asher Kidshanu B’mitzvotav V’tzivanu L’hadlik Ner Shel Chanukah.
Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us to light the lights of Chanukah. - Baruch Atah Ado-noi Elo-heinu Melech Ha’olam She’asa Nissim La’avoteinu Bayamim Haheim Buzman Hazeh.
Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the Universe, who performed miracles for our fathers in those days, at this season. - This blessing is said on the first night of Chanukah only:
III. Baruch Atah Ado-noi Elo-heinu Melech Ha’olam Shehecheyanu V’kiymanu V’higiyanu Lazman Hazeh.
Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the Universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.
After lighting say HaNeirot Halalu and Ma’oz Tzur.
You can download a “Print at Home” sheet with all the prayers and songs here.
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According to the basic halachah, it’s sufficient to light one Chanukiah per household. However, the Ashkenazi minhag is for each person to light their own Chanukiah. The minhag is for children who are old enough to understand to also light their own Chanukiah.
It’s important to leave space between each Chanukiah so that it’s clear how many lights have been lit.
The minhag outside of Israel is to light the Chanukiah inside the home but it should be positioned by a window that enables the maximum number of people possible to see the lights.
The Chanukiah should be lit at nightfall. If that’s not possible then it can be lit at any time during the evening until halachic dawn.
Work is permitted on Chanukah. However, there’s a minhag for women not to do any work whilst the Chanukah lights are burning.
All 8 days of Chanukah, Al Hanissim is added into to the Amidah and Birchat Hamazon. If someone forgets to say it, they don’t repeat the Amidah.
It’s a minhag to eat foods that are fried in oil to remember the miracle of the oil. Chanukah Sameach
– Happy Chanukah
