The festival of Hanukkah is marked by the kindling of lights. The festival was instituted to commemorate the miracle of the oil in the Jerusalem Temple in 165 BCE. Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting a menorah that contains eight lights for each of the eight days. An additional light, called the Shamash (the guard or servant) is added to light the other lights.

Some simple rules govern the construction of a menorah.

> The eight lights must be on the same level and equally spaced.

> Leave enough space between each light to ensure that each flame can be seen distinctly.

> Place the candles in a straight line to easily see which light belongs to which day.

> The Shamash should be separate, preferably higher or lower than the others.

The Hanukkah menorah may burn either candles or (preferably) oil. Any oil is acceptable, but pure olive oil is considered the best.

There are a number of simple ways to make your own Hanukkah menorah. Clay is an excellent medium for making a menorah. To make a clay, oil burning menorah, follow these simple instructions.

You will need:

- Clay,

- Cotton wool for the wicks and

- A little water in case the clay begins drying too early.

An optional extra is enamel for decoration.

Construction:

Work the clay well to smooth it out and to remove any air bubbles. Make sure that all air bubbles are eliminated to avoid the clay breaking later. An air-drying variety of clay simplifies the entire process.

Make a long flat base about 18 inches long. Use a little extra clay to raise the platform in the centre or at either end to place the Shamash.

Shape nine small cups about half an inch in diameter and one and a half inches high using the remaining clay. Wet the bottom of the first cup, place it on the raised platform and press it firmly to bond with the base. Distribute the remaining eight cups in the same way evenly on the base. A little extra wet clay may be used around the joins to ensure a better finish.

Dry the menorah in the sun. Once the menorah is completely dry, you may use some enamel to decorate the menorah. Add beads, stones or even pieces of pasta for more decorative effects.

Cotton wool is an excellent choice for the wicks. Twist the cotton wool. You will need fresh wicks every day - two for the first day, three for the next and so on. You may make the wicks just before you use them. You may burn any type of oil but pure olive oil is the best. Cotton wool wicks with olive oil produces a bright and clear flame.

There are as many ways to make a home made menorah as you can imagine. Candles may be used instead of oil. To make a candle burning menorah, simply make holes in the clay base to act as candle holders or use bottle tops or glass candle holders.

Learn more about this author, Barry Marcus.
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