There’s a new Hanukkah stamp set this season: Celebrate the Miracle stamp set from Stampin’ Up! I needed a few more Hanukkah cards this year, although I have already made several dozen. So tonight, I whipped up this one in minutes using this new set. I love that they provided us with a menorah that stamps the menorah itself separately from both the candles and the flames! The company actually created a task force to research what we would want in the set, and it met all my personal requirements.

Being Jewish, I do send a bunch of Hanukkah cards each year. I am fortunate to have a wonderful religious leader, Rabbi Robert Green, who allowed me to “interview” him a few years ago about Hanukkah cards. Here’s what he had to say:

1. Given that Hanukkah is a minor Jewish holiday and has evolved due to Christian traditions, how do you feel about giving/receiving cards for Hanukkah? Most cultures have some kind of winter holiday of lights.  It makes sense, coming in the darkest time of the year (at least in the northern hemisphere). I think Chanukah cards are absolutely fine. Any occasion to send a greeting to people who are important to us is a good occasion! But I think of it as more cultural than religious. It is also the time of the secular new year, which we celebrate because we are American. It’s nice, however, to remember that Chanukah is a minor holiday. 
2. And given above, how do you feel about receiving cards saying “Peace on Earth”, “Happy Holidays”, or even “Merry Christmas”? “Happy Holidays” is a fine greeting, especially since we are sending them to both people who celebrate Chanukah and those who celebrate other holidays. “Peace on Earth” is also a fine greeting for the same reason.  I pray for peace on earth on a daily basis. I think Jewish people sometimes shy away from it, because they may think it is from Christianity, but it is not.  We have prayed for peace throughout the world in our Amidah, multiple times a day, for 2,000 years! “Merry Christmas” is not a greeting I use on cards, unless I write it myself, in my message to people who celebrate.  I like the cards that I send to others to both represent me and acknowledge their holiday.  I am happy to wish people who celebrate Christmas a Merry Christmas, in person. I enjoy acknowledging other people’s holidays as much as I do having others acknowledging mine.
3. How do you feel about Hanukkah cards featuring 6-pointed stars or doves? Six pointed stars and doves are fine, as long as they are not on Christmas trees ;). A dove was the first of God’s creations to leave the Ark, following the flood.
4. And how do you feel about “winter” cards with the Happy Hanukkah greeting? I am more drawn to Jewish or light themed cards that involve bringing light into the world, because I think this time of year is really about bringing light into darkness.

I love my rabbi because he is always so thoughtful and diplomatic. My personal take on cards is that I like to acknowledge the recipients beliefs as opposed to my own. My feeling is that if I purchase a gift that I like, but it is something I know that the person doesn’t, it isn’t sending the message I want. But that’s just me. And regarding Hanukkah cards, I prefer to stick to menorahs, dreidels and possibly doves (although I’m on the fence on that one). Six-pointed stars are like sending Christmas cards with a cross, OK but not addressing the holiday.

But now that we have a stamp set dedicated to Hanukkah, I’ve of course been using it like crazy! Sometimes I combine it with DSP I have from my scrapbooking days, other times I use generic but pretty DSP and sometimes I just go with the stamps. Here’s a video short with today’s card:

And here’s a card we made in a recent class that I CASE’d from Mary Deatherage:

For info about my upcoming in-person and virtual classes, check out my class descriptions here and my calendar here. I hope to see you at a class sometime soon, but you can always find ideas here on my blog as well as on Facebook and Instagram.

My Celebrate the Miracle Card Measurements:

• Night of Navy card base – 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″
• Balmy Blue – 4″ x 5 1/4″
• Crushed Curry – 3 1/4″ x 4 1/4
• Basic White – 3″ x 4″, scrap for die cut

My Celebrate the Miracle Card Supplies: