Menorah and Chanukiah: The Difference, the History and the Meaning
Most people call the Hanukkah candelabrum a menorah. Strictly speaking it is a chanukiah, and the distinction matters more than it might seem. One has seven branches and stood in the Temple in Jerusalem. The other has nine and sits in a window for eight nights each winter.
Menorah or Chanukiah?
| Menorah | Chanukiah | |
|---|---|---|
| Branches | Seven | Nine |
| Origin | The Tabernacle and the Temple | Hanukkah, from the second century BCE |
| Lit when | Daily, by the priests | Eight nights of Hanukkah |
| Today | Emblem of the State of Israel | Used in homes worldwide |
In everyday English menorah is used for both, and nobody will misunderstand you. In Hebrew the two are distinct: menorah simply means lamp, while chanukiah refers specifically to the Hanukkah lamp. The word chanukiah is modern, coined in the late nineteenth century.
The Seven-Branched Menorah
The original menorah is described in the Book of Exodus in unusual detail: hammered from a single talent of pure gold, with a central shaft and six branches, decorated with almond blossoms, calyxes and petals. It stood in the Tabernacle and later in both Temples in Jerusalem, and was lit daily.
Its most famous depiction is not Jewish. The Arch of Titus in Rome, built in 81 CE, shows Roman soldiers carrying the menorah away after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. That carving is the main visual evidence for what the Temple menorah looked like, and it exists because it was made to celebrate a defeat.
When the State of Israel chose its emblem in 1949, it took the menorah from that arch, flanked by olive branches. A symbol carved to mark exile became the emblem of a restored state.
The Nine-Branched Chanukiah
The chanukiah has eight lights in a row, one for each night of Hanukkah, plus a ninth called the shamash, the attendant.
The shamash exists for a legal reason. The Hanukkah lights are meant only to be looked at, not used for any practical purpose. Since a room lit by candles inevitably gets used, the shamash is designated as the working flame, and the other eight remain purely for display. It is usually set higher or apart from the rest.
How the Lighting Works
- Candles are placed in the chanukiah from right to left, adding one each night.
- They are lit from left to right, so the newest candle is kindled first.
- The shamash is lit first and used to light the others.
- Lighting takes place after nightfall, and on Friday before Shabbat begins.
- The chanukiah is placed where it can be seen from outside, traditionally in a window or doorway.
That last point carries the whole idea. The obligation is called pirsumei nisa, publicising the miracle. The lights are not for the household. They are for the street.
The Story Behind It
In 167 BCE the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV outlawed Jewish practice and rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem to Zeus. The revolt that followed, led by Judah Maccabee and his brothers, recaptured Jerusalem three years later.
The Talmud records that when the Temple was rededicated, only one sealed jar of consecrated oil was found, enough for a single day. It burned for eight, long enough for new oil to be prepared. The eight nights of Hanukkah and the eight lights follow from that account.
The books of Maccabees, written closer to the events, describe an eight-day festival but say nothing about oil. The military account and the miracle account developed side by side, and both are part of how the holiday is understood.
When Is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah begins on the twenty-fifth of Kislev and runs eight nights. Against the Gregorian calendar the dates move:
- 2026: sundown 4 December to nightfall 12 December
- 2027: sundown 24 December to nightfall 1 January 2028
The 2026 date is unusually early. Full dates for every Jewish holiday are in our guide to Jewish holidays for 2026 and 2027.
Common Questions
How many candles do I need for Hanukkah?
Forty-four in total for one chanukiah across eight nights: thirty-six for the nights themselves and eight for the shamash. Standard boxes contain forty-four for exactly this reason.
Can a chanukiah have seven branches?
No. Eight lights plus the shamash is the requirement. A seven-branched lamp is a menorah in the Temple sense, and reproducing the Temple menorah exactly has traditionally been avoided.
Does it have to be candles?
Olive oil is considered preferable, since the miracle concerned oil. Candles are entirely acceptable and far more common. Electric lamps are used where open flames are not allowed, though most authorities do not consider them to fulfil the obligation.
What does the menorah symbolise?
Light, knowledge and the presence of God are the usual readings. The seven branches have been connected to the seven days of creation. For the chanukiah, the theme is endurance: a small supply lasting far longer than it should.
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