The Chanukah Candles

This year (2015), the first candle is lit the evening of December 6.

The Chanukah lights should be kindled as soon as possible after nightfall. On Fridays, the lights are kindled before the beginning of Shabbat (before the Shabbat candles are lit). The lighting procedure is as follows:

  1. The correct number of candles are placed in the menorah, beginning at your right.
  2. Each subsequent night you add one candle, starting at the right and moving left.
  3. After the candles are set, you light the shamash, the helper candle, which usually has a distinct place on the menorah apart from the other candles.
  4. Use the shamash to light the rest from left to right.

You can view and print the blessings in Hebrew, Hebrew transliterated, and English here. You can purchase a copy of the blessings in ASL from Our Way, Our Way is a program of the OU National Jewish Council for Disabilities.