Hanukkah is already here and, as always, it is an integral part of the holiday season. For this Hanukka, we decided to put together a great list of Hanukkah menorahs, to inspire and illuminate your life.
What is a menorah?
Basically, the Hanukah menorah or Chanukah menorah is a 9 branched candleholder that is used during the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. For the 8 days of Hanukkah, the lighting of the menorah takes place, with each day the respective numbers of candles are lit along with the menorah center one (also known as the Shamash) as an addition. For example, on the first day, one candle is lit along with the Shamash, the 2nd day – two candles with the Shamash, all the way to the final day, where all 8 candles are lit along with the Shamash.
There are many variations of the Hanukkah menorah which include a traditional menorah, an electric menorah, a silver menorah, a geeky one, homemade ones and many different designs. In the end, we gathered here a menorah collection of some great styles and designs we ran by across on the Web. Some are geeky and some are not, but in the end, the creativity is absolutely apparent. For even more, you can check last year’s collection of geeky Hanukkah menorahs.
Electric Menorahs
The following are some electric menorah that could provide great examples to those interested in learning more of Hanukkah. A few are themed for the Geek inside and others merely provide possibilities to celebrate the holiday in this Tech age.
Hello Kitty Menorah
Images: Miss MusicNerd
Fans of Hello Kitty will appreciate this cute Hello Kitty electric menorah, as it brings together the many styles of the famous kitty in a colorful and practical menorah.
Matches Menorah
Image MooPigWisdom
This electric menorah, made in the style of matches, is a cool variation of the normal menorahs we usually run across. Instead of having candles light up, we have 9 different ‘matches’ that are lit for each miraculous night.
Star Trek Menorah
This is one of the geekiest electric menorahs we have ever seen, for it is not only techy, but it includes many of the Star Trek characters to help light up the holiday.
Arduino Menorah
Image: Xnedski
For some geeks, it is much easier to build a Hanukkah menorah using Arduino then actually light the menorah candles.
Hanukkah Menorah iPhone Applications
Image: Via
Image: Via
Image: Via
It does seem a bit crazy, but iPhone Apps are everywhere, so why not have one to celebrate Hanukkah? These various electric menorahs are part of a fun holiday application released for the iPhone and iPod Touch, which grants you the ability to light the menorah straight from your Apple device. You can light the candles with your fingers, control the burn rate and watch their glow. It is a way to celebrate Hanukkah when there is no (physical) menorah around.
Homemade Menorahs
The following homemade menorahs are very creative. While the final results vary between practicality and decoration, they all add extra color to the tradition of lighting the menorah.
Lego Menorahs
Image: Brickshelf
The Lego menorah may not be useful in actually lighting the candles on the toy candelabra, but they are very creative and colorful.
Jeremy Resnick
Surfboard Menorah
Image: Graygoosie
The surfboard Hanukkah menorah is definitely not your traditional menorah, but that is quite alright; It will entertain any indivdual who comes across it … surfer or not.
Harry Potter Menorah
Image: Jesspotter
Some Harry Potter fans love the wizard so much that they wanted him (and his wizard friends) close by when lighting the candles on the menorah.
Image:: JB
Vodka Bottle Menorah
Image: Alarming News
Hanukkah is celebrated by Jewish people around the world, including some Russian Jews. This unique menorah made of vodka bottles brings together both traditions.
Hanukka in New York
Image: A Design Affair
The Metro Card New York menorah is not one that is actually useful during Hanukkah, but it is a nice way to decorate for the holiday.
Menorah Beaded Art
Image: Exodecai101
Here is a cool menorah that is also not for practical use, but still makes for great decoration.
Crocheted Menorah
Image: Rchach
A handmade version of the menorah may be pretty to look at, but should definitely remain away from the lit candles.
Hanukkah Menorah Toys
In order to provide some fun Hanukkah toys for children, some cool menorah toys were also released.
Wood Menorah Set
Image: LilSugar
This is a wooden menorah set consists of 31 pieces that are used to educate children on the lighting of lighting the Chanukah menorah and the overall holiday tradition.
Hanukkah Menorah Puzzle
Image: Canaan
A cool menorah puzzle set consists of the individual candle holders as puzzle pieces, which may be arranged in different variations to bring forth a colorful menorah lighting.
Dreidel Menorah
Image: Canaan
Celebrate Hanukkah with a dreidel menorah. It includes the separate candle holders, which can be arranged as a menorah or brought together to make for a fun dreidel.
Hanukkah Menorah Designs
There are thousands and thousands of different menorah designs, but here we selected five conceptual ones brought to you by Gabriel Prero, including a Silver menorah from Priyanka Mehta.
Disney Menorahs
Some of your favorite Disney characters are also showing the holiday spirit with their own firetruck menorah design, Disney characters menorah and snow globe menorah. Mickey Mouse also makes an appearance within the unique Pez menorah.
Image: Marcus-VanSnyder
Image: Bob Davidson,
Image: Sarah Biggart
Image: Hoboken 41
Miscellaneous Hanukkah Menorahs
The following are some additional menorahs for Hanukkah that vary in theme, size and color.