Hanukkah Prayers 2015: Blessings To Say During The Jewish Festival Of Lights This Year

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is all about celebrating miracles. For all eight days of the holiday, Jews light candelabras, called hanukias, to remember the lamp that stayed lit for eight days after Jews reclaimed a temple from Greek invaders during the second century B.C.

While lighting the menorah, there are certain blessings that are said. Here are the prayers you need to know for Hanukkah.

Blessing One: When Jews light the first candle in the middle of the menorah, they say or sing this blessing. You light the middle candle, called the shammus, first and recite the blessing while holding the candle. Only after saying the prayer do you light the other candles:

Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.

Blessing Two: The second blessing asks Jews to remember the miracles performed by their ancestors.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.

Blessing Three: The third blessing is said only when the Hanukkah menorah is first lit each year. It is called the Shehechiyanu, and it thanks God for sustaining the Jews and reminds them to appreciate the goodness in their lives.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has kept us alive, and has preserved us, and enabled us to reach this time.

You can find Hebrew versions of these prayers and recordings at Chabad.org and JewFAQ.org.