Hanukkah with kids
🕎 Candle lighting and blessings
Each night of Hanukkah, one more light is added to the hanukkiah. Here is everything a family needs: the order, the blessings with transliteration, and a night-by-night chart you can print.
Hanukkah 2026
The first candle is lit on the evening of Friday, December 4, 2026. The eighth and last night is Friday, December 11, 2026.
| Night | Evening of | Candles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday, December 4 | 🕯️ + shamash | Light before the Shabbat candles |
| 2 | Saturday, December 5 | 🕯️🕯️ + shamash | Light after Shabbat ends (after Havdalah) |
| 3 | Sunday, December 6 | 🕯️🕯️🕯️ + shamash | |
| 4 | Monday, December 7 | 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️ + shamash | |
| 5 | Tuesday, December 8 | 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️ + shamash | |
| 6 | Wednesday, December 9 | 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️ + shamash | |
| 7 | Thursday, December 10 | 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️ + shamash | |
| 8 | Friday, December 11 | 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️ + shamash | Light before the Shabbat candles |
How to light, step by step
- Place the candles in the hanukkiah from right to left: one on the first night, and one more each night. The shamash goes in its own, separate place.
- Light the shamash first, then say the blessings below.
- With the shamash, light the candles starting with the newest one on the left, moving to the right.
- Put the shamash back in its place. Many families then sing “Maoz Tzur” or “Hanerot Halalu”.
Safety first: an adult lights the candles. Stand the hanukkiah on a stable, non-flammable tray away from curtains and paper, keep children at arm’s length, and never leave burning candles alone.
The Hanukkah blessings
Lighting the Hanukkah lights · Every night
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר חֲנֻכָּה.
Transliteration
Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav vetsivanu lehadlik ner Hanukkah.
Meaning in English
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who made us holy through Your commandments and commanded us to light the Hanukkah lights.
Many Ashkenazi prayer books say “lehadlik ner shel Hanukkah”; Sephardi communities say “lehadlik ner Hanukkah”.
For the miracles · Every night
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
Transliteration
Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, she-asah nisim la-avoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh.
Meaning in English
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days, at this season.
Shehecheyanu · First night only
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
Transliteration
Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, shehecheyanu vekiyemanu vehigianu lazman hazeh.
Meaning in English
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this time.
The Hebrew text comes from the site’s checked collection of holiday blessings. Customs differ between communities; follow your family or community practice.
Frequently asked questions
How many candles do you need for Hanukkah?
44 in total: 36 festival candles (1 + 2 + … + 8) plus one shamash (helper candle) for each of the eight nights.
Which direction do you place and light the candles?
Place the candles from right to left, adding one new candle on the left each night. Light the newest candle — the one on the left — first, then move to the right, using the shamash.
What blessings are said when lighting Hanukkah candles?
Two blessings every night — for lighting the Hanukkah lights and for the miracles — and on the first night a third blessing, Shehecheyanu.
How long should Hanukkah candles burn?
Traditionally the lights should burn for at least half an hour after nightfall. On Friday, use longer candles, because they are lit before the Shabbat candles.
When is Hanukkah this year?
Hanukkah 2026 begins on the evening of Friday, December 4, 2026, and the last candles are lit on the evening of Friday, December 11, 2026.
Explore more: Hanukkah for kids, How to play dreidel, Hanukkah activities for kids, and Learn the Hebrew alphabet.