On Friday of Chanukah, do I light the menorah before or after Shabbat candles?

Here's what you need to know

On Friday during Chanukah, you light the Chanukah menorah first, and only afterward light the Shabbat candles. This is the universal practice, since lighting the Shabbat candles brings in Shabbat, after which kindling any flame is forbidden.

The specific rule is

Light the Chanukah menorah first (with its blessings), and once that is done, light the Shabbat candles. Once the Shabbat candles are lit, Shabbat has begun for you and no more fire may be kindled, including the menorah.

Step by step

• Set up the menorah in its usual place, filled with oil or candles large enough to burn for at least half an hour after nightfall (since Shabbat comes in earlier than a weekday, the candles need to last longer than usual before you light them)
• Light the Chanukah candles, reciting the blessing 'l'hadlik ner shel Chanukah' and 'she'asa nissim,' and on the first night also 'shehecheyanu'
• Recite or sing 'Haneirot Halalu' as is customary
• Light the Shabbat candles and recite the blessing over them; this act brings in Shabbat

Background

The reason for this order is straightforward: lighting the Shabbat candles is the act that formally begins Shabbat for the person lighting them (or for the household, depending on custom). Once Shabbat has begun, kindling a flame is forbidden, so the menorah must be lit beforehand.

This creates a practical complication. On an ordinary weeknight, the menorah can be lit any time after sunset and only needs to burn for about half an hour into the night. On Friday, though, Shabbat candles are lit before sunset (typically some minutes before, depending on local custom), which means the Chanukah candles must also be lit earlier than usual, while still needing to burn for the required half hour into the actual night. For this reason it is common to use larger candles, more oil, or longer-burning wicks specifically for Friday of Chanukah, to make sure the menorah stays lit long enough even though it is being kindled earlier than normal.

There is no dispute about the order itself, menorah before Shabbat candles, this is agreed upon across all communities. The only variation is in exactly how early people light on Friday afternoon and how much extra oil or wax they use to ensure the flames last the needed duration, which follows local custom for candle-lighting times.

Each source is checked against Sefaria — unverified references are dropped, never shown.