How do you light the menorah?

How to Light a Chanukah Menorah Three Parts: Arranging the Candles Lighting the Shamash and Saying the Blessings Lighting the Other Candles Community Q&A Chanukah (also spelled Hanukah or Hannukah) is the Jewish festival of lights, a joyous holiday that celebrates the miraculous burning of the ancient temple of Jerusalem’s menorah for not one day, but eight days, after they ran out of oil. read more

If you will be spending the night in a Jewish home, you have the option of giving your host a dollar or so, a symbolic contribution towards the menorah expenses, and then you are covered by his/her menorah lighting - or better yet, light your own menorah too. read more

The former has eight places for lighting with a ninth spot for the shamash ("helper" or "servant"), which is the light used to light the other branches. On each night of Hanukkah, the shamash is lit first and then the others, whether oil or candles, are lit one by one. read more