AHanukkah menorah, sometimes known as a Hanukkiah, is a candelabrum that can support a total of nine candles and is used during Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish festival, but what does it mean?
The candelabrum has nine branches and the number of candles are lit according to the day of the festival. For example, one candle will be lit on day one, two on day two, three on day three etc… So, in short, each candle symbolizes a day of the festival.
The candle that sits atop of the menorah in the centre is called a shamash and is used to light the other candles since they are holy lights. Candles are often placed in front of, or near, mantlepieces, doors and windows.
Traditional menorahs pay homage and commemorate the seven-branched menorah situated in the Temple in Jerusalem, Israel and the celebration refers back to an ancient historical story about Jewish survival and perseverance.
The menorah is one of the most commonly known symbols of Judaism, alongside the Star of David or an outline of a synagogue.
What is the story behind Hanukkah?
The holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century BCE. The story goes that a small group of Jewish rebels known as the Maccabees fought against the oppressive Seleucid Empire, which had forbidden Jewish religious practices.
After their victory, when they reclaimed the Temple, they found only enough ritually pure olive oil to light the menorah (a seven-branched candelabrum) for one day, but miraculously, it lasted for eight days until new oil could be prepared.
Families gather to eat traditional foods like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts), exchange gifts, play dreidel (a spinning top game), and retell the story of Hanukkah to celebrate the victory and the miracle of the oil.