Hanukkiah (חנוכייה)

Hanukiah (חנוכייה), also known as the Hannukah menorah, is a special nine-branched candelabrum used during the festival of Hannukah. Its history is a reference to the Temple's menorah miracle. After the successful Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire there was an urgent need to re-consencrate the Temple in Jerusalem by burning of the Temple's menorah. For this purpose was needed pure olive oil, but Maccabeans found only enough oil to burn for one day, but miraculously it burned for eight days, until they managed fo prepare new one. This miracle is celebrated by lighting candles on Hannukah candelabrum known as Hanukiah.

There are different types of Hanukiyot, though they have one thing in common. They are made of eight branch candle holders and one extra branch for an auxiliary candle called the shamash (literally 'attendant'), which is used to kindle the other candles. Lighting candles of Hanukiah is one of the main traditions of Hannukah. There is a prescribed way how to light up these candles. On the first night of Hanukkah light up one candle and continue in the same way the other nights in order to have eight candles on the eighth night. The custom is to light up the candles from right to left.