Why we light Shabbat candles
Two small flames, eighteen minutes before sunset, every Friday for three thousand years. What they mean, and how to start if you never have.
My grandmother lit Shabbat candles in a one-room apartment in Brooklyn with her hands over her eyes, whispering something I couldn't hear. I was six. I thought it was the most private thing I had ever seen. It still is.
Lighting candles is the moment Friday becomes Shabbat. The week ends; the house goes quiet; the table is set. It's traditionally the woman of the house who lights — but anyone can, and a man living alone lights too.
Why two candles?
The Torah tells us to remember Shabbat and to keep it — two words, two flames. Many women add a candle for each child, so a table can carry two candles or ten.
How to begin
- Find this week's time: eighteen minutes before sunset. It's on the bar at the top of our website.
- Put a coin or two in a charity box first, if you have one.
- Light the candles, draw your hands toward you three times, then cover your eyes and say the blessing.
- Take a moment. Many women say a private prayer for their family right then.
A free candle kit
We give every woman and girl who asks a pair of candlesticks and a year of candles. Ask at the door on Friday night or send us a note.
