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Bar Mitzvah Candlelighting |
| By Elizabeth Hersch |
| San Francisco , USA |
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This Bar Mitzvah tradition takes place after the main meal has been served. Lighting these long, slender tapers is a way of recognizing family and friends. Each person called up to light a candle is special to the child in some way, so typically grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins are called up to light their bar mitzvah candles first. Then family friends, camp friends, and special teachers can be called up to the table. Sometime friends or large groups of cousins are called up in groups, for example, if the child invited 12 of his school friends to celebrate his bar mitzvah with him, he can call them all up at once to light the candle.
Many celebrants write down and recite short thoughts about each special candlelighter, and you can even invovle the band or DJ. The bar mitzvah band or DJ can play short clips of songs that are appropriate to each lighter. This will have to be arranged way ahead of time to be sure the band or DJ understands this tradition and they can learn the little \"play-ons\".
---Think of a play-on like the music that accompanies a talk show guest star as they walk out to join the host. It really adds to the experience of the bar mitzvah candlelighting.
Thanks for reading,
Liz
Of course you can keep it simple an call each person up to say thank you with a hug nd a kiss. |
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