Hi,

I know that we light holiday candles on the first two nights of Passover. But what happens when the first day of Passover falls on Shabbat, and the second night of Passover begins on Saturday? Does that change things with the lighting on Saturday night?

Answer:

We do light candles on the second night of Passover, as on all major Jewish holidays. But because it coincides with the Shabbat, when we may not ignite a new flame, we wait until Shabbat has ended.

(If you look at the candle lighting times for that day in your city, you'll notice that it's an hour later than usual to ensure that Shabbat has ended. See Candle Lighting Times for Shabbat & Holidays.)

Before lighting, it’s important to say, “baruch Hamavdil bein kodesh l’kodesh”- “blessed is the One who separates between the holiness [of the Shabbat] and the holiness [of the festival].”

Since we are not permitted to create a new flame on the holiday, we light a long-lasting candle before the onset of Shabbat (or holiday). The candle is left to burn in a safe place, and is used to light the candles for the second night.

Enjoy some reading about Shabbat and Holiday Candle Lighting from our Shabbat minisite.