A menorah is a branched candleholder used in Jewish tradition. The nine-branched version used at Hanukkah is more precisely called a hanukkiah, though "menorah" is the term most commonly used for it.
How it is used at Hanukkah
One new candle is lit each night of Hanukkah's eight nights, using a ninth, separate candle called the shamash ("helper") to light the others. By the final night, all eight candles are lit at once.
The seven-branched menorah
A separate, older seven-branched menorah is a symbol of Judaism dating back to the original Temple in Jerusalem, distinct from the Hanukkah version.
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