What Is a Menorah? Menorah vs. Hanukkiah, Explained

Updated October 2026.

Seven branches or nine? Menorah or hanukkiah? Here's the short version, and then the fun details.

When most people say "menorah" in December, they mean the Hanukkah menorah. That's fine. But knowing the difference helps when you're shopping, explaining Hanukkah to a friend, or settling a family debate over latkes. For the bigger picture on the holiday (dates, story, food and traditions), start with our Hanukkah guide.

What Is a Menorah?

Menorah is Hebrew for "lamp." In the Torah (Exodus 25), God tells Moses to make a lamp of pure gold with a central stem and six branches, three on each side, decorated with cups shaped like almond blossoms. It stood in the Tabernacle in the desert and later in the Temple in Jerusalem, where the priests lit it every day with pure olive oil.

That seven-branch menorah is one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish people. After the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 CE, they carried the menorah off to Rome, and you can still see it carved on the Arch of Titus there. What happened to it after that, nobody knows for sure.

Because the Temple menorah was a holy object, many traditional authorities discourage making an exact copy of it. That's one reason seven-branch menorahs you see today are usually decorative or symbolic rather than something you light for a ritual.

Menorah vs. Hanukkiah: What's the Difference?

Here's the side-by-side.

The Hanukkah menorah gets its extra lights from the Hanukkah story. When the Maccabees took back the Temple and rededicated it, they found only one small jar of pure oil, enough for a single day. It burned for eight. So we light one more flame each night for eight nights, and the shamash does the lighting.

Hanukkiah (also spelled chanukiah or hanukiah, and pronounced roughly "ha-noo-KEE-ah") is the Modern Hebrew word for the Hanukkah menorah, and it's what you'll hear in Israel. In English, "menorah," "Hanukkah menorah" and "hanukkiah" all mean the same thing in December. (Hanukkah is spelled Chanukah plenty of places, too. Same holiday.)

How Many Candles Are on a Menorah?

• Temple menorah: seven lamps.
• Hanukkah menorah: nine holders. Eight for the nights, plus the shamash.
• Each night of Hanukkah: the shamash plus one candle for each night so far. Night one is 1 + shamash; night eight is all nine.
• For the whole holiday: 44 candles (36 plus a new shamash every night). That's why a box of Hanukkah candles holds 44 or 45.

Want the step-by-step, including which way to load and light? Our guide to how to light the Hanukkah candles has the order, the blessings and the 2026 night-by-night schedule (Hanukkah 2026 starts at sundown on Friday, December 4).

What Is the Shamash?

The shamash (Hebrew for "attendant" or "helper") is the ninth candle. The eight Hanukkah lights are just for looking at, not for reading by or getting work done, so the shamash is there to do the practical job: you light it first and use it to light the others.

On a Hanukkah menorah the shamash has to stand out. It's usually raised above the row, but it can also sit lower, in front, or off to one side. Designers have a lot of fun with this part.

What Makes a Hanukkah Menorah Kosher?

There's no stamp or certificate for a kosher menorah. A menorah is fine to light as long as it follows a few basic rules:

1. Eight lights in a straight line, all at the same height. No circles, zigzags or stairsteps for the eight. (Many authorities allow a gentle curve as long as you can see every light at once.)
2. Space between the flames, so each light reads as its own flame and they don't merge into one big torch.
3. A shamash that's clearly set apart: higher, lower, or out of line.
4. Enough fuel for the lights to burn at least 30 minutes after nightfall.

That's it. Material, color, size and style are all up to you. A sleek silver hanukkiah, a ceramic dinosaur and a pickle (yes, really) can all be kosher. Some sculptural menorahs put the candles at different heights or in a cluster for looks, which makes them beautiful decor but not ideal for the blessing. If that matters to you, check the product photos for a straight, level row before you buy.

Oil vs. Candles: Which Should You Use?

Both are traditional. Oil is the original, since the Hanukkah miracle was about oil, and many families consider olive oil the nicest way to light. Candles are easier and are what most American families use.

• Oil: closest to the story, a soft steady flame, and usually a longer burn. Look for a menorah with glass or metal cups and use wicks, floating wicks or pre-filled oil cups. Pre-filled cups are the no-spill option.
• Candles: no prep, no pouring, lots of colors. Standard Hanukkah candles fit most menorahs and burn for under an hour, so on Friday night (before Shabbat) you'll want something longer-burning.

Shop oil menorahs or browse all Hanukkah candles, including pre-filled olive oil cups.

Silver Oil Menorah with Colored Glass Cups · $220 Blossom Menorah - Oil or Wax Candles · $110 Pre-Filled Liquid Olive Oil Hanukkah Candles · $40

Types of Menorahs

Traditional menorahs

Classic branches, polished metal, the menorah you picture from your grandparents' windowsill. Some are modeled on historic Hanukkah lamps, with a back wall like the old ones made to hang beside a doorway. Shop traditional menorahs.

Brass Menorah from Poland by Israel Museum · $150 Golden Crystal Ball Menorah · $220

Modern menorahs

Minimalist lines, concrete, glass, wood, rainbow colors and plenty of humor. If you want your menorah to be a conversation piece, start with modern menorahs and our roundup of the best modern menorahs.

Hammered Chanukah Menorah by Yair Emanuel - Rainbow · $38 Hand-Poured Rippled Concrete Hanukkah Menorah - Blue Marbled · $70

Kids' menorahs

Dinosaurs, sports, animals and personalized names. A menorah of their own gets kids excited to light every night (with a grown-up close by, always). There are also flame-free play menorahs for little ones, like plush and building-brick sets. See menorahs for kids and our list of the best menorahs for kids.

Electric and LED menorahs

Electric menorahs are perfect for a front window, a dorm, an office, a hospital room or an apartment with a no-flame rule. They're also a nice way to keep the window glowing all night. But most rabbis say an electric menorah doesn't fulfill the mitzvah of lighting, so you don't say the blessings over it. Many families do both: candles or oil at the table, electric in the window. Shop electric menorahs.

Travel menorahs

Small, flat or folding, for Hanukkah at the in-laws or on vacation. Shop travel menorahs.

Menorah Materials

• Silver and silver-tone: the heirloom look. Shop silver menorahs.
• Brass: warm, classic and sturdy, and it ages well. Shop brass menorahs.
• Ceramic: hand-painted, colorful, often one-of-a-kind. Shop ceramic menorahs.
• Glass: fused, blown or crystal, and lovely with the light behind it. Shop glass menorahs.
• Wood: natural and modern. Wood should have metal candle cups, so the flame never touches the wood. Shop wood menorahs.
• Metal, aluminum and steel: durable, often modular or magnetic. Shop metal menorahs.

Looking for a menorah made by Israeli artists? Browse menorahs from Israel.

How to Choose a Menorah

1. Check the row. If you plan to say the blessings over it, pick one with eight lights level and in a line and a shamash set apart.
2. Decide on fuel. Oil needs cups; candles need holders that fit standard Hanukkah candles. Some menorahs take both.
3. Think about where it goes. Measure your windowsill. A long menorah may not fit, and a large menorah may need a table.
4. Consider the drips. Some materials clean up easier than others. A drip tray helps with all of them.
5. Get more than one. Many families give each person their own menorah, so everyone lights.

Shopping for someone else? Our Hanukkah gift guide has ideas for everyone on your list.

Where to Put Your Menorah (and How to Care for It)

The point of lighting is to share the miracle with the world, a practice called pirsumei nisa ("publicizing the miracle"). Traditionally the menorah goes in a window facing the street or by the front door, on the side opposite the mezuzah. In an apartment or upstairs room, a street-facing window works well. Some families light at the dinner table so everyone can gather around.

Wherever you put it, keep it on a heat-safe surface, away from curtains and anything that can catch fire, and never leave lit candles alone with kids or pets.

Eight nights of drips add up. A menorah drip tray under the menorah saves your table, and our guide to how to clean a menorah covers getting wax off silver, brass, glass and ceramic without scratching. Store it wrapped in soft cloth so it's ready to go next year.

The Menorah as a Jewish Symbol

The menorah has stood for the Jewish people for more than 2,000 years, long before the Star of David became the best-known Jewish symbol. Menorahs show up on ancient coins, synagogue mosaics and gravestones. In 1949 the new State of Israel chose the seven-branch Temple menorah, framed by two olive branches, as its official emblem. That's the menorah you see on Israeli passports and government seals.

And the Hanukkah menorah has its own big meaning: putting light in the window during the darkest time of the year, so anyone walking by can see it. It's a pretty good reason to pick one you love.

Menorah FAQ

What is a menorah?

A menorah is a Jewish lamp with branches for lights. The original menorah was the seven-branch gold lamp in the Temple in Jerusalem. Today most people use "menorah" for the nine-branch Hanukkah menorah, also called a hanukkiah.

What is the difference between a menorah and a hanukkiah?

Menorah means lamp. The Temple menorah has seven branches. A hanukkiah is the nine-branch menorah used only on Hanukkah: eight lights for the eight nights plus the shamash, the helper light. Every hanukkiah is a menorah, but not every menorah is a hanukkiah.

How many candles go on a Hanukkah menorah?

A Hanukkah menorah holds nine candles: eight for the nights of Hanukkah and one shamash. On the first night you light the shamash plus one candle, and you add one each night. For all eight nights you need 44 candles.

Can you use a 7-branch menorah for Hanukkah?

No. A seven-branch menorah doesn't have room for eight nights plus the shamash, so it can't be used to light for Hanukkah. Seven-branch menorahs are decorative or symbolic, a reminder of the Temple.

What is the shamash?

The shamash ("helper" or "attendant") is the ninth candle on a Hanukkah menorah. You light it first and use it to light the others. It sits higher, lower or off to the side so it's clearly separate from the eight Hanukkah lights.

What makes a menorah kosher?

The eight lights should be in a straight line at the same height, spaced far enough apart that the flames don't merge, with the shamash set apart. The lights need to burn at least 30 minutes after nightfall. Within those rules, any material or design works.

Is an electric menorah kosher?

Most rabbis say an electric menorah doesn't fulfill the mitzvah of lighting Hanukkah candles, so you don't say the blessings over it. It's a great choice for a window, a dorm, a hospital or anywhere flames aren't allowed, alongside a candle or oil menorah if you can.

Why is the menorah on Israel's emblem?

The State of Israel adopted the seven-branch Temple menorah, framed by two olive branches, as its official emblem in 1949. It links the modern state to the ancient Temple in Jerusalem.

Chag Sameach, and happy lighting!