Close Out Hanukkah with Flowers

How To Keep The Hanukkah Fire Burning Bright

At Allen’s Flower Market, we love it when festive events keep going for days – which is why we are such big fans of Hanukkah! Celebrating for eight days and nights sounds like a pretty great time to us. This year, Hanukkah fell early in the season – the Festival of Lights ends on Monday, December 6. That means there are a few days left for fun, family, gifts, and flowers. 

Special Facts About Hanukkah

Hanukkah’s storied history goes back over 2,000 years when a group of spiritual Jews called the Maccabees made their return to Jerusalem to liberate the city. The holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the Temple and the Jews’ success taking back their home from oppressive forces. 

There are a couple of possible meanings for the word “Hanukkah.” In some translations, Hanukkah refers to a “dedication” – however, others connect the term to the Hebrew word “Hinuch,” which means “to teach.” While the first interpretation refers to the events of the first Hanukkah, the second is a nod to the way families celebrate the holiday today – by teaching children ancient stories. 

Gifts were not always associated with Hanukkah. In fact, the dreidel was initially created as a way to prevent boredom. However, in today’s tradition, many families will give gifts to children on each night that Hanukkah is celebrated.

As with many religious holidays, at the center of Hanukkah, there is a miracle. When the Maccabees were reclaiming their Temple, they did not have sufficient oil to keep their lanterns lit. Miraculously, their lights continued to burn bright for eight days and nights. This is why families practice the ritual lighting of the eight Menorah candles each night of Hanukkah after sunset. 

The mysterious lamp oil explains another set of Hanukkah rituals: eating food fried in oil. That’s right – latkes and fried bread such as jelly donuts - also known as sufganiyot - are central to the holiday for reasons of religious symbolism (but it doesn’t hurt that they’re delicious).

Despite its significance in Jewish life, Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Torah because it commemorates events that took place after the early scriptures were written.

The Best Flowers for Hanukkah

Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah or have Jewish friends, co-workers, or neighbors, consider sending flowers to show that you’re thinking of them and wish them a joyful holiday. Traditional Hanukkah celebrations are blue and white. This combination is elegant, meaningful and complements the center of the festivities: the lit menorah. In Hanukkah Nights, plush baby blue hydrangeas make a soft, rounded base for charismatic white lilies, set in a chic glass cube. Our Hanukkah Centerpiece is a show-stopper and is perfect for a large dinner gathering. This beautiful arrangement has candles set amid roses, lilies, daisies, and delphinium, all sturdy flowers that are sure to stay fresh all week long. For a tall, eye-catching arrangement, consider Winter Nights, a combination of lilies, roses, startling irises, and eucalyptus, gracefully held in a blue glass vase.

At Allen’s Flower Market, we are committed to offering high-quality, fresh flowers for all of your family’s most exciting cultural celebrations. We offer same-day, effortless delivery, and we welcome custom ideas to create the perfect bouquet for you or your loved ones. If you want to see and smell our arrangements in person or find the ideal Hanukkah blooms in person, stop by our floral design stores in Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, or Sunland.