Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated by lighting a special candelabra called a menorah for eight days. During Hanukkah, it is customary to decorate the house with blue and white decorations, particularly the Star of David. But why blue and white?
Hanukkah blue and white are derived from the colors associated with the Israelite tribe of Levi, one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The colors were traditionally associated with modesty, purity, and holiness. Later, blue was associated with the sky and white with snow.
The Tribe of Levi
When the 12 tribes of Israel gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai, they were symbolically divided into four groups, corresponding to the four camps of the Tabernacle.
The Levite camp was marked with a banner of blue and white.
According to tradition, the blue and white also represented the colors of the techelet and argaman, the two cords of tzitzit, or ritual tassels. It is not clear why blue and white were chosen as the colors of the tzitzit, but it may be connected to the Hasidic idea that the white is the Light of the Creator and the blue the Light of the Sefirot.
Blue and White in Flags and Monuments
The blue and white became associated with the state of Israel. The modern Israeli flag consists of a white field with a Star of David in blue and white stripes. The national anthem of Israel, Hatikvah, references blue and white as a symbol of hope and faith:
- As long as the Jewish spirit is yearning deep in the heart,
- With eyes turned toward the East, looking toward Zion,
- Then our hope—the two-thousand-year-old hope—will not be lost:
- To be a free people in our land,
- The land of Zion and Jerusalem.
The blue and white also appear on monuments and memorials throughout Israel, including the Western Wall and its surrounding plaza. It is also a common theme in memorials for victims of the Holocaust and those who died in the wars for the establishment of the state of Israel.
Today, blue and white are an integral part of the Jewish identity and the festival of Hanukkah. Blue and white decorations are ubiquitous during this holiday, ranging from the classic dreidel and Hanukkah gelt (edible money) to decorative flags and wreaths. The colors remind us of the unlikely miracle of redemption and of the bond between Jews and the Land of Israel.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.