There are 9 candles that are lit on Hanukkah. One is the helper candle ("shamash") used to light the other 8, which symbolize the 8 days of Hanukkah.
A story in the Talmud (500 years after the Maccabean War) tells of a legendary miracle. After the war, When the Jews returned to rededicate the Ancient Temple, they found that there was only enough oil to keep the eternal lamp burning for 1 day. It would take 8 days to make more of this special oil. So they lit the lamp, and it miraculously burned for 8 days, giving them plenty of time to make more oil to keep the lamp burning.
Although this is just a legend, in modern times, we light candles to symbolize the miracle of the oil lasting 8 days.
Answer:The above answer is non-traditional. Our tradition is that the miracle of the oil did indeed occur and isn't just a legend. If it wasn't for the clear tradition of our Sages, Hanukkah would have been forgotten long ago.The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices such as Sabbath-observance, and pressed the Jews to offer up idolatrous sacrifices. The Hasmoneans (a family of religious Jews) fought to retake the Holy Temple, which had been seized by the Seleucids, and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah.
When they reached the Temple grounds and prepared to light the Temple's menorah (Exodus ch.25), they found only one day's supply of unsullied olive oil. Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought.
The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence still dwelt in the Holy Temple. This is what Hanukkah stands for: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). The eight-day rededication of the Temple is also mentioned in the book of Maccabees (I, 4:36; and II, 1:18); and Josephus mentions the eight-day festival in Antiquities ch.12.
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.
It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "the Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes."
The chanukiah (Hanukkah-menorah) candles symbolizes the 8 days that a one-day supply of olive oil for the menorah miraculously lasted, after the maccabees reclaimed the destroyed Second Temple (beit hamikdash) from the Greeks after a successful revolt.
Answer:The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices in Judea, such as Sabbath-observance, and pressed the Jews to offer up idolatrous sacrifices. The Hasmoneans (a family of religious Jews) fought to retake the Holy Temple, which had been seized by the Seleucids, and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah.When they reached the Temple grounds and prepared to light the oil lamps of the Temple's menorah (Exodus ch.25), they found only one day's supply of unsullied olive oil. Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought.
The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence still dwelt in the Holy Temple. This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.
It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "the Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes."
The candles stand for the 8 days the holiday lasts.
any candles can be hanukkah candles, as long as they fit in the Chanukiah (Hanukkah menorah) and burn at least 1/2 hour.
The Hanukkah candles don't have names, except for referring to them generically, as neirot Hanukkah (candles of Hanukkah). The one candle which does have a name is the extra one, used to light the others, which is called the shamash (helper).See also:More about Hanukkah
You light 9 candles on Hanukkah, and there is no tradition of asking why, unless there are guests in the home who don't know about Hanukkah.
No specific colors are mentioned for Hanukkah in Jewish law.See also:More about Hanukkah
The candles are put into the Hanukkiah (Hanukkah-menorah) starting on the first evening) of Hanukkah. The candles are lit in the early evening after sunset or later.
Hanukkah lasts 8 days. 44 candles are needed.
The hanukkiah, also called Hanukkah-menorah, is a candelabra that holds 9 candles and is used for the holiday of Hanukkah.
There is no such thing as "Hanukkah People". People who celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah are called Jewish people. And there are no Jewish rituals that refer to "long" candles.
There are no traditional colors for Hanukkah candles. They can be anything.
a total of 44 candles.
Hanukkah is one holiday in which you would light candles.
It takes a total of 44 candles