Chanukah begins Thursday night. If you’re a single person for the first time this year and don’t have a menorah, or if you want to show your Jewish friends some support by putting a menorah in your window, or if you just can’t find yours, here are some last-minute ways to make one.
Homemade Menorah for Chanukah – Last Minute EASY Chanukah – oil or wax
Before you begin, there are a few important things you should know about menorahs.
Menorahs have eight main branches, each holding a candle. The ninth candle, the Shamesh, is set slightly apart from the others, usually in the middle or at the end of the other candles. As the story goes, this commemorates the eight nights that the oil was kept burning, despite there only being enough for one night. Each of the eight candles is lit from the Shamesh, or “helper” candle, but it is important not to confuse this with the other eight.
Chanukah candles are designed to burn for at least 30 minutes, but the longer they burn, the more they are considered a “mitzvah” or good fortune. Instead of using regular candles, most people purchase a set of Chanukah candles that have just the right amount of light for the year. These are thinner than most candles and look like elegant, tall birthday candles. Either wax candles or oil candles can be used, but since the Chanukah miracle involved olive oil, it is better to use oil. Menorahs are designed to be placed in your window, so they demand that you see them, and the candles are traditionally lit at sunset, not before. On the first night of Chanukah, one candle plus the Shamesh is lit; on the second night, two candles plus the Shamesh, and so on. Candles are lit from left to right.
