For parents and K–3 learners
What is Shabbat candle lighting?
Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) begins at sundown every Friday and ends at nightfall on Saturday. The transition from weekday into Shabbat is marked by lighting two candles at home, roughly 18 minutes before sundown. This is called Hadlakat Nerot — "kindling the lights" — and is one of the three core mitzvot specifically given to the woman of the household (though the practice in many homes is for the mother to light and the whole family to gather around).
The act itself is simple. Light two candles (one for זָכוֹר/zachor — "remember" — and one for שָׁמוֹר/shamor — "keep" — the two verbs the Torah uses for Shabbat). Cover your eyes with your hands. Say the blessing. Then open your eyes and look at the candles — that is the first moment of Shabbat in your home.
For a K–3 child who has never seen this before: the cover-the-eyes detail is the part that captures imagination. Many parents explain it this way: "Usually we say a blessing first and then do the thing. But Shabbat candles are different — once we light them, Shabbat has already started, and we can't light again. So we light first, cover our eyes, and only then say the blessing — that way the blessing comes before our 'first time seeing' the Shabbat lights."
The blessing
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha'olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Shabbat.
Translation: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the light of Shabbat.
Many parents add a personal silent prayer at this moment — for their family, their children, anything weighing on them. Then they uncover their eyes, look at the candles, and the rest of Shabbat begins: dinner, blessings over the children (we have a full guide to Birkat HaBanim), the Friday-night meal.
