“Just like how people light Shabbat candles, some people light two, but her family lights one for each kid. Now that my brother is older and has kids of his own, he now does the same thing and lights a Shabbat candle for each child.”

Lighting the Shabbat candles is very important to Judaism, and it is a law mandated by rabbinically. The candles are supposed to be lit around twenty minutes before the sunset to greet the Jewish Sabbath, or day of rest. The candles are to be lit by a woman, and after they are lit, a prayer should be said. The candles are lit to encourage peacefulness in the home and to honor the day of rest. Michal says that although Shabbat candles are not meant to be lit for every member of the family, she likes that her family’s tradition is more inclusive.

The linking between the Shabbat candles and domestic peace could be one reason Michal’s family decided to include every child in the lighting ceremony. If every child has a candle, then they are all included and everyone can help to support domestic peace in the home.