In This Article:
- Start With the One Detail That Matters Most
- What You Actually Need on the Table
- The Order of the Ritual, Without the Extra Noise
- Why People Cover Their Eyes
- The Blessing Belongs in the Rhythm of the Evening
- A Few Questions That Come Up Almost Every Time
- Choosing Candles That Make Weekly Practice Easier
- The Part That Gets Easier With Time
Shabbat candle lighting is one of those rituals that can look simple but feel far more personal once it becomes part of your Friday evening. Two candles, a quiet pause, a blessing, and a visible shift in the room. The workweek gives way to something calmer. The table feels different. So does the home.
For someone lighting Shabbat candles for the first time, the usual questions come fast. What time do you light them? What kind of candles should you use? What is the order? What if you are trying to do it correctly without growing up with the custom? The good news is that the ritual is clear once you know the few details that matter most. After that, the practice tends to settle into place.
Start With the One Detail That Matters Most
The first thing to get right is timing. Shabbat candles are lit on Friday before sunset. In many communities, the common practice is to light them 18 minutes before sunset, though local customs can vary, so it is important to check the candle-lighting time for your location.
That small window matters because candle lighting is not a decorative extra added to Friday dinner. It marks the beginning of Shabbat in the home. If you wait until the last minute, the moment can feel rushed. If you prepare a little earlier, the ritual has room to feel calm, which is part of its power.
A simple habit helps here. Check the local time earlier in the day, place the candles before the kitchen gets busy, and keep a matchbox or lighter close by. Many people do fine with the ritual once they stop treating it like a last-second task.
What You Actually Need on the Table
The setup is straightforward. You need candles, holders that fit them properly, and a safe place to light them. Two candles are the common starting point in many homes. Some families follow other customs, but two is the familiar baseline for those who are learning the practice or returning to it after time away.
This is also where product choice starts to matter in a practical way. Shabbat candle lighting works best with candles that fit securely, burn steadily, and do not distract from the setting. Taper candles are a natural choice because they fit traditional candlesticks and create the look most people associate with Friday night candle lighting.
That is one reason unscented tapers make sense here. Strong fragrance can clash with dinner, and oversized or poorly fitted candles can turn a quiet ritual into a minor hassle. Kisco Candles carries taper options that fit this use well, including white and ivory tapers and Lerner Shabbat tapers made for standard Shabbat candlesticks. Kisco’s 5-inch Lerner Shabbat tapers have a 4-hour burn time and a standard holder fit, which makes them a practical match for weekly use.
The Order of the Ritual, Without the Extra Noise
The order is simple, and once you do it a few times, it becomes much easier to remember.
First, place the candles in their holders before the lighting time. Put them in a safe area, usually near the table where the meal will be served or in another visible place that feels right for the home. Make sure the surface is stable and clear.
Next, light the candles. Give each wick a second to catch properly. A steady flame matters more than speed here. If the wick is weak or the candle is leaning, fix it before moving on.
After lighting, the common custom is to cover the eyes with the hands and then recite the blessing. Chabad describes the order that way, with the eyes covered while saying the blessing.
Then comes the part many do not expect: a brief pause. Not a dramatic pause but a real one. You open your eyes, see the candlelight, and feel the room settle. That transition is part of the ritual. It is not filler between steps. It is the point.
Why People Cover Their Eyes
This detail can seem oddly specific until you see it in practice. Covering the eyes creates a brief pause between lighting and taking in the candles as Shabbat begins. It gives the blessing a distinct place in the ritual and helps mark the shift in time more clearly.
It also changes the feeling of the moment. Without that gesture, candle lighting can feel like another task crossed off the Friday list. With it, the ritual has shape. Even people who are new to the custom often notice that this small act slows everything down in the best way.
The Blessing Belongs in the Rhythm of the Evening
The blessing is central, but it helps to treat it as part of the rhythm of the evening rather than as a line to get through correctly under pressure. Many families know it by heart. Others keep a printed version nearby.
For beginners, the important thing is not to make the blessing feel intimidating. It is part of a weekly practice that grows more familiar with repetition. The first Friday may feel careful and deliberate. The fifth may already feel natural.
A Few Questions That Come Up Almost Every Time
How Many Shabbat Candles Should You Light?
Two is the most common starting point. If your family or community follows another custom, follow that practice. If you are building the ritual in your own home for the first time, two candles give you a clear, traditional place to begin.
Do They Need to Be Special Shabbat Candles?
They need to work well for the ritual. That means a secure fit, a steady flame, and a clean, practical burn for the setting. Taper candles are often the easiest fit because they work with common candlesticks and look right on the table. This is one place where buying the correct size saves frustration later.
Is Scented or Unscented Better?
For most homes, unscented is the better choice. Dinner is part of Friday night, and fragrance can easily become too much, especially in a smaller dining area. Unscented candles feel cleaner and more appropriate for regular weekly use.
What If You Miss the Lighting Time?
Planning ahead matters because the lighting should happen before sunset. Chabad notes that the latest time is just before sunset, when Shabbat begins. If this is hard to remember, a recurring Friday reminder on your phone is a smart fix, not a shortcut.
Choosing Candles That Make Weekly Practice Easier
The best Shabbat candles are not the most elaborate ones. They are the ones that fit well, light cleanly, and make it easy to keep the ritual going week after week. White tapers are classic for a reason. They look right in almost any setting, feel traditional, and work across a wide range of candlesticks. Ivory can be a good option too, especially for homes that prefer a warmer table palette.
If the goal is consistency, buying candles that are clearly suited to the ritual helps more than buying something decorative and hoping it works. Kisco Candles’ taper collection includes white and ivory tapers, longer taper options, and Shabbat-ready tapers for standard holders, making it easier for you to choose something practical for regular Friday use.
The Part That Gets Easier With Time
The first week, you may check the time twice, reread the steps, and place the matchbox exactly where you cannot miss it. That is normal. The ritual is simple, but it still has a sequence, and new sequences take a little repetition.
After a while, the details stop feeling like instructions and start feeling like preparation for something familiar. The candles are already out. The holders are ready. The room changes the moment the wicks catch. That is when the practice stops feeling like something you are trying to do correctly and starts feeling like part of Friday evening itself.