Red and greenare so synonymous withChristmasthat a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree knock down out in other shade can feel downright seditious . And it certainly is n’t the only holiday with its own colour scheme : Hanukkahparaphernalia be given to come in blue and blanched or low and silver .
The most obvious explanation for blue and clean being the colouring material affiliate with Hanukkah is theIsraeli pin , designed by theZionist movementin 1891 and formally adopted in 1948 . The flag ’s blue stripes symbolize those find ontallitot , traditional Judaic orison shawls that are bust at synagogue , bar or chiropteran mitzvah , and Jewish weddings . So why are there blue chevron ontallitot ? According to the Bible , the Israeliteswere toldto dye a thread on their tassels withtekhelet , a bluish ink from a sea snail , “ so that they may expect upon it , and commend all the commandment of the LORD , and do them . ”
In 1864 , the Judaic poet Ludwig August Franklnamed blue and white“the color of Judah ” in a poem not so surprisingly call “ Judah ’s Colours . ” An extract : “ When lofty feelings his heart fill , he is mantled in the color of his country … Blue and lily-white are the colors of Judah ; whitened is the radiance of the priesthood , and blue , the splendors of the firmament . ”
Blue and livid hail with universal association , too . Whitesuggestspurity , peace , and faint ; blueis associatedwith the sky , faith , wiseness , and verity . ( The expression is n’t “ true blue ” for nothing . )
And what about the silver we see in Hanukkah laurel wreath ? Some masses think the holiday call for a petty more sparkle , not to observe the popularity of silver menorahs . Blue and white clearly are n’t just the colors of Hanukkah ; they ’re symbolic all year long .
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A version of this story originally ran in 2018 ; it has been updated for 2024 .
