What are the traditional colors of Hanukkah?
What are the traditional Christmas colors?
- Green. Evergreen plants, like Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe have been used for thousands of years to decorate and brighten up buildings during the long dark winter.
- Red. As mentioned above, an early use of red at Christmas were the apples on the paradise tree.
- Gold.
- White.
- Blue.
- Purple.
Why are blue and white the colors of Hanukkah?
2) Special Hanukkah additions are added to the prayer services:
- a) Al-hanisim in grace after meals and in the thrice daily prayers
- b) Hallel - the thanksgiving psalms during morning prayers
- c) Each day there is a special Torah reading
What are some Hanukkah symbols and meanings?
Whereas elsewhere in the world, it is marked:
- נ for ness (נס) - a miracle
- ג for gadol (גדול) - large / big
- ה for hayah (היה) - happened
- ש for shuhm (שם) - there
What are facts about Hanukkah?
30 Amazing Facts About Hanukkah That'll Make Your Holiday Bright
- 1 Hanukkah has been celebrated in space. ...
- 2 Giving gifts on Hanukkah stems from Christmas. ...
- 4 Hanukkah can start on any day of the week, except for a Tuesday. ...
- 6 As are latkes! ...
- 7 Before latkes were made out of potatoes, they were made out of cheese. ...
- 8 Latkes are a European invention—and a modern one, too. ...
See more
What is the significance of the color blue in Judaism?
Many items in the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary in the wilderness, such as the menorah, many of the vessels, and the Ark of the Covenant, were covered with blue-violet cloth when transported from place to place. It represents equilibrium, since its hue suggests a shade midway between white and black, day and evening.
Are blue and white Hanukkah colors?
Today's Hanukkah decorations carry on the tradition of the holiday's early American popularity, in that they look just like Christmas decorations, but they're blue and white.
What are the 3 traditional colors for Hanukkah?
What Color Is Your Holiday? Christmas, Hanukkah, & KwanzaaChristmas Colors: Red and Green.Hanukkah Colors: Blue and White.Kwanzaa Colors: Black, Red and Green.
What are the official colors of Hanukkah?
You may have never stopped to consider why blue and white are the official colors of Hanukkah. It may seem obvious, considering the Israeli flag features two horizontal blue stripes with a Star of David in the center.
Why is blue and white?
Why Blue and White Colors? Blue and white were first used as colors representing the Jewish faith in 1864. That year, the poem “Judah's Colours” was published by Ludwig August Frankl, a Jewish poet. In the poem, Frankl writes that blue and white are the colors of Judah.
What are 3 interesting facts about Hanukkah?
The holiday commemorates the triumph of a band of rebel Jews known as the Maccabees in reclaiming their temple from the Greek-Syrians.2 Hanukkah lasts for eight nights, to commemorate how long the holy light burned. ... 5 Hanukkah dishes are fried for a reason. ... 7 Hanukkah is not the most important Jewish holiday.More items...•
Why is blue a Christmas color?
But blue was an obvious choice for Christmas because of winter. Blue is often associated with cold and ice. Ice was originally thought of negatively, but now fake icicles are a common decoration. Blue was adopted by the Catholic Church as the color of Mary.
Are menorah candles a certain color?
Candles in a menorah are most commonly white, but any color can be used. Hanukkah lasts for eight days, and each night one lit candle is added to the menorah. So, on the first night, the first candle is lit using the ninth candle, the Shamash (attendant).
Are Hanukkah candles a certain color?
Sure, blue and white are the designated colors for Hanukkah but that doesn't mean you can't add a little color into your holiday display. And by a little, we mean a lot.
Is gold a Hanukkah color?
Colors of Hanukkah Dark Gold—became the primary Hanukkah color as it is the shade of the traditional Hanukkah Gelt, the dark golden coins or chocolates given on this day. Blue—the blue-and-white or blue-and-silver combination is the traditional pairing for all the Hanukkah decor.
Why Blue and White Colors?
Blue and white were first used as colors representing the Jewish faith in 1864. That year, the poem “Judah’s Colours” was published by Ludwig August Frankl, a Jewish poet. In the poem, Frankl writes that blue and white are the colors of Judah.
What Blue Represents
In Judaism, blue stripes are used on a traditional prayer shawl, called a tallit. This use of blue comes from a Bible story in which the Israelites are told to dye a single thread in the tassels of their tallitot with a particular blue dye made from sea snails.
What White Represents
Unlike the blue used for Hanukkah and the flag of Israel, why white is used doesn’t have such a clear-cut answer. White often represents peace, honor, and purity, not only in Judaism but in cultures around the world. This may be one reason why it was chosen for the poem, the flag, and, eventually, the Festival of Lights.
Where Does Silver Come In?
Instead of white, silver is often used on Hanukkah decorations or cards. Silver doesn’t have any true connection to either the holiday or the Jewish religion. However, the holiday season is often considered to be a time for sparkle and pizzazz, and silver is seen as a more festive color.
Why Hanukkah Has a Color Scheme
In most parts of the world, including Israel, Hanukkah is celebrated as a minor holiday. It’s not generally considered to be one of the biggest, flashiest, or most important holidays in the Jewish faith. However, this isn’t the case in North America, where Hanukkah is extremely popular and heavily celebrated.
What color is the Hanukkah flag?
Hanukkah paraphernalia tends to come in blue and white or blue and silver . The most obvious explanation for blue and white being the colors associated with Hanukkah is the Israeli flag, designed by the Zionist movement in 1891 and officially adopted in 1948.
What does blue mean on Hanukkah?
Blue is associated with the sky, faith, wisdom, and truth. (The expression isn't "true blue" for nothing.) And what about the silver we see in Hanukkah decorations? Well, some people think the holidays call for a little more sparkle, not to mention the popularity of silver menorahs.
What does the blue flag mean?
The flag's blue stripes symbolize those found on tallitot, traditional Jewish prayer shawls that are worn at synagogue, bar or bat mitzvahs, and Jewish weddings. So why are there blue stripes on tallitot?
Who named the colors of Judah?
In 1864, the Jewish poet Ludwig August Frankl named blue and white "the colors of Judah" in a poem not so surprisingly called "Judah's Colours.". An excerpt: "When sublime feelings his heart fill, he is mantled in the colors of his country ...
What color is the thread in the Bible?
According to the Bible, the Israelites were told to dye a thread on their tassels with tekhelet, a blue ink from a sea snail, "so that they may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them.". In 1864, the Jewish poet Ludwig August Frankl named blue and white "the colors of Judah" in a poem not so surprisingly called ...
What Is Hanukkah?
Commonly known as the festival of lights, Hanukkah (or Chanukah) commemorates two remarkable events: the reclamation of the Holy Land from the Seleucid army by a small group of Jews, and how one day’s supply of oil kept the menorah in Jerusalem’s Second Temple lit for eight days.
Why Are Blue and White Hanukkah Colors?
The Parashat Sh’lach (Numbers 15: 38-41) reads that God instructed Jews to include a blue cord to the fringes, or tzitzit, of their clothing, which meant the inclusion of the color blue amongst the already white threads of the tzitzit. As a reminder of the sea and sky, the color blue then served as a reminder for God and their religious practice.
Blue and White of Hanukkah
As a literal reminder of God and a literary reference to splendor, the color blue takes center stage, snugly surrounded by the color white, a symbol of the people who uphold Jewish teachings and whose ancient white tzitzit accepted the color blue.
