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Light the Hanukkiah: A Hanukkah Learning Game and Guide
A game that teaches how to light the hanukkiah: where the candles go each night, why the newest one is lit first, and a question on the laws of the holiday with its source on all eight nights.
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🎯 How to play
- Pick one of the eight nights of Hanukkah, or start from the first night.
- Put the right number of candles in the hanukkiah, in the right places. On the first night the candle goes on the right, and each night one is added to its left.
- Light the shamash, the tall candle in the middle.
- Use the shamash to light the candles in the right order: first the candle added tonight (the leftmost), then move right.
- Answer a short question about the laws of the holiday. A right answer shows a fact and its source.
- A night with no mistakes earns 3 stars. After the eighth night the whole street lights up.
Learning to light the hanukkiah, night after night
Children watch their parents light the hanukkiah every evening, but most do not know why the candles stand exactly where they do, or why the lighting starts from the left. In this game the child does the lighting, night after night, and learns the order hands-on.
How to play
Each night has three steps:
- Put in the candles. Tap the places on the hanukkiah to put candles in them. Wrong place? The game explains why: on the first night the candle stands on the right, and each night one is added to its left.
- Light them. First the shamash, then the candles with it. Start with the candle added tonight, the leftmost, and move right. Every lit candle really flickers.
- Answer a question. Each night has a different question about the laws of the holiday, and a right answer shows a fact and its source.
A night with no mistakes earns 3 stars, one or two mistakes earn 2, and more than that earns 1. Each night’s stars are saved, and you can go back to any night and do better.
What the eight nights teach
- The blessings: three on the first night, two from the second night on.
- The lighting order: why the newest candle is lit first.
- The shamash: why we need it, and what “Haneirot Halalu” says.
- The place: at the door or in a window, to publicize the miracle.
- The time: how long the candles must burn at least.
- Friday evening: which comes first, Hanukkah or Shabbat.
- The oil: which oil is finest, and why.
- Arithmetic: how many candles are lit over all of Hanukkah.
Careful about accuracy
Every answer in the game was checked against the sources, and every question shows its reference: the Talmud in tractate Shabbat or the Shulchan Aruch. Where something is a custom rather than a law, such as putting the hanukkiah on the left side of the door, the game says so. The game follows the common custom in Israel. For practical questions, ask a rabbi.
Ideas for the holiday
- Before lighting at home: play that evening’s night, then light the real hanukkiah together.
- In kindergarten and class: put the game on the board and let the children decide together which candle comes first.
More Hanukkah games
Dreidel for a family game, Catch the Doughnuts for quick fun, and the Hanukkah Word Search for the words of the holiday.
🧠 Test Yourself
Answer all three questions correctly to earn 100 stars!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you know where the candles go each night?
On the first night one candle goes on the right side of the hanukkiah. Each night one candle is added to the left of the previous night's candles. On the third night, for example, the candles stand in the three places on the right.
Which candle is lit first?
The one added tonight, which is the leftmost, and then you move right. This is the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 676:5), and the reason is that the new candle marks how the miracle grew day by day. There are other customs too; the game teaches the common one.
Does the game replace learning with a rabbi or a parent?
No. The game teaches the basics in a fun way, and every question shows its source for anyone who wants to learn more. For practical questions, ask a rabbi.
What age is it for?
For children from kindergarten up, with help reading for the little ones. The questions also suit school children who want to test what they know about the holiday.