The 27 Craziest Menorahs

Isn’t a menorah supposed to have only eight candles/lights? The Hello Kitty menorah seems to have one extra, doesn’t it?

(I apologize if this is a stupid question.)

Ah, that makes sense.

Chanuka has eight days. There are eight candle holders plus a “shamas” used to light the others. Light one the first day, two the second, etc. All menorahs have the extra, usually set apart from the others.

From MentalFloss
“Whatever the reason, the seven-branched “original” menorah should not be confused with the nine-branched Chanukah menorah. For this reason, the latter is often called a chanukiyah, a word coined by the wife of Eliezer Ben Yehuda, the man credited with reviving the Hebrew language at the end of the 19th century. It’s especially important not to confuse the two if you plan on purchasing a new menorah this Chanukah—not so much for fear of breaking a law in the Torah, but more out of fear of the look on children’s faces when they discover they’ve been short-changed by two days.”

With all due respect, in my 72 years as a Jew, I’ve never heard the word “Chanukiyah” and never heard the Sabbath candlestick (seven branches) called a menorah.