For the eight nights
JewishCalc earns a small commission on purchases made through the links above, at no extra cost to you. See our full disclosure.
Shopping for kids or grown-ups? Hanukkah gift guides at The Shuk — or make a craft together at Sweet Year Studio.
Hanukkah Candle Calculator
Which night of Hanukkah it is, how many candles to light (plus the shamash), and the lighting order.
Lighting order
Place candles in the menorah from right to left (adding the newest night's candle to the left of the ones already there), but light them left to right — the newest candle first. The shamash (helper candle) lights all the others and doesn't count toward the total.
Total candles over 8 nights
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 = 36 candles, plus one shamash lit each of the 8 nights = 44 candles in all (not counting any candles used just to light others).
The blessings
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל חֲנֻכָּה
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha'olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Chanukah.
"Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah light." (Said every night.)
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha'olam, she'asah nisim la'avoteinu bayamim hahem baz'man hazeh.
"...who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days, at this season." (Said every night.)
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha'olam, shehecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higianu laz'man hazeh.
"...who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season." (Said only on the first night.)
How the Hanukkah Dates Are Found
Hanukkah begins on 25 Kislev and runs for 8 nights, into Tevet — but because Kislev is one of the calendar's two variable-length months (29 or 30 days), the exact civil-calendar dates shift year to year. Dates here are computed with @hebcal/core and verified night-by-night against hebcal.com's own Hanukkah candle listing.
Frequently asked questions
Which night of Hanukkah is it tonight?
See the box at the top of this page — it updates automatically, and shows nothing outside the 8 nights of Hanukkah.
Do I say the shehecheyanu every night?
No — only on the first night (or the first time you light that year, if you missed the first night).
See also: Omer Counter · Jewish Year Converter