From our brand new Hanukkah eCard: Bunny Menorah

One of the most magical parts of the holidays is the lights and colors which brighten the spirits and heighten the festive mood.

Hanukah’s colors are blue and white, which you might guess are based on the Israeli flag. And you’d be partly right; Hanukah commemorates the victory against the Seleucid King Antiochus in the 2^nd century BCE, where the Jews revolted against the occupation of their Temple and the banning of their religious practice.

But the reason for the colors of blue and white go even deeper. The Jewish prayer shawl (called a “tallit”), described in the Book of Numbers, details that one thread is dyed a certain kind of blue and three threads are of white. This tekhelet blue, according to rabbinical interpretation, signifies divine revelation and the color of heaven.

According to an article on the website “Apartment Therapy”:

“In the time of the Israelites, tekhelet dye was made from a kind of snail, and was used by the upper classes as dye for clothing and vestments. Perhaps by stipulating the use of this expensive and rarefied dye, even in such a tiny quantity as for four corner threads, the tallit was granted special status.

White was the other color because of its symbolic associations with purity and cleanliness (important parts of the Sabbath, of course).”

So this Hanukah, remember the rich history of the colors that surround you, stemming back many years and continuing to play a meaningful part in your holiday this season.

We have a large selection of ecards for your Hanukkah season (including ones steeped in blue and white). Stop by and send Hanukkah ecards to a loved one today.

(The article on Holiday colors is located here: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/what-color-is-your-holiday-chr-104238)

Happy Hanukkah, Chanukah, Hannukah, Hannukkah and Channukah…and happy hanukka, hannuka and khanuke too.

How can a holiday have so many spellings? Why can’t it be a nice, simple spelling, like say, May Day?

Well, it has to do with (say it with me, boys and girls): Transliteration.

First, an example. Many people can’t easily pronounce this:

That’s Hanukkah, in Hebrew.

You see, cultures throughout the world use different scripts to represent their language. By transliterating, or changing an original text into the words and writing style of another language, people can make their languages more accessible to those who can’t understand their scripts. The drawback? Transliteration leads to multiple spellings.

The good part? There are so many different spellings of this special Jewish holiday, you probably could write it any old way and get it right.

If you want to wish someone a happy Hanukkah (or Chanukah, Hannukah, Hannukkah and Channukah), check out our festive selection of Hanukkah ecards.