Is it legal to light a menorah with real candles for Hanukkah in NC apartments? What to know
As the holiday season approaches, many Jewish families are preparing to celebrate Hanukkah, known as the Festival of Lights (which begins this year on Wednesday, Dec. 25), with the lighting of the menorah.
But lighting candles inside could be dangerous, especially for those who live in multi-unit dwellings where a fire could easily spread. From 2018 to 2022, firefighters in the U.S. responded to an average of around 6,000 fires caused by candles annually, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Is it legal to light religious candles inside North Carolina apartment buildings? Here’s what to know.
Is it legal to light a menorah in an apartment building in NC?
It depends. The Fair Housing Act allows tenants to display religious items in their apartments “so long as they do not violate reasonable safety or sanitation rules or laws,” according to Legal Aid North Carolina.
However, landlords can include a ban on all candles in lease agreements, considering them a safety hazard, according to ApartmentSearch.com. That means your lease could be terminated if you decide to light and display your menorah — or other types of candles, like birthday candles and scented candles — in your apartment.
If you live in an apartment/rented space and want to light traditional candles this holiday season, check your lease agreement to make sure you won’t be violating rules.
Can you use an electric menorah for Hanukkah?
Though some people use electric menorahs, it does not fulfill the requirement of lighting the menorah, Rabbi Michael Wolk of Temple Israel in Charlotte told The Observer.
That’s because the miracle of Hanukkah (more below) “occurred with a menorah consisting of fuel, wicks and fire,” according to the online Jewish learning group Chabad.
“But people can use them in a number of decorative ways,” Wolk said. “I know people in nursing homes or different types of senior living who are unable to light a flame in their room will use an electric menorah. It’s not really the original way you’re supposed to do it.”
Wolk said he would advise people in those types of situations to find a public space where they can light the menorah as a group.
Why are candles lit during Hanukkah?
The inspiration for Hanukkah dates back thousands of years, when the Syrian Greek ruler Antiochus forbade people in his kingdom, which included Judea, from practicing Judaism, Wolk said.
“Hanukkah celebrates a small group of Jewish people we call the Maccabees, led by Judah the Maccabee, who fought back against the Syrian Greeks and were able to recapture Jerusalem,” said Wolk.
“When they rededicated the temple in Jerusalem, they went to relight the menorah — the candelabra that was lit there every single day — but they could only find one jar of pure oil that hadn’t been defiled by the by the Greeks.”
Though the oil was only supposed to last for one day, Jews believe the oil miraculously burned for eight days as a symbol of their enduring faith, Wolk said.
“The themes are accessible to all kinds of people. Light in the middle of the darkest months of the year, and getting you through that darkness. Themes of overcoming challenges, perseverance and fighting for what you believe in. It’s very easy to connect with Hanukkah and celebrate it to end the year,” Madeline Seltman, chief programs officer at Triangle non-profit Jewish for Good, previously told The News & Observer.
Stay safe while using religious candles
Aside from Hanukkah, there are other religious holidays that use candles, according to Chicago’s Griffin Museum of Science + Industry, such as:
- Kwanzaa, celebrated by lighting seven candles in a candelabrum called a kinara
- Visakha Puja Day, celebrated by Buddhists in the spring
- Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs on the darkest night of the Amavasya moon cycle in the fall
- Christmas Eve, when church gatherings are often candle-lit
Here are some ways you can stay safe using religious candles, according to the NFPA:
Candles should be placed in a sturdy candle holder.
Don’t pass handheld candles to another person at any time.
When at a candle lighting service, have the person with the unlit candle dip their candle into the flame of the lit candle.
Don’t place lit candles in windows where a blind or curtain could catch fire.
Candles placed on or near tables, altars or shrines, should be watched by an adult.
If a candle must burn continuously, be sure it is enclosed in a glass container and placed in a sink, on a metal tray or in a deep basin filled with water.
This story was originally published December 20, 2024 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Is it legal to light a menorah with real candles for Hanukkah in NC apartments? What to know."
