Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
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Step 1
Choose your bush. The field is wide open; you can buy from a traditional Christmas tree lot down the street or you can cut your own.
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Step 2
Alternatively, you can decorate a shrub growing in your front yard, or draft your potted ficus benjamina into service for the holiday season.
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Step 3
Drape the tree with strings of lights in either white, or blue and white, the traditional Hanukkah colors.
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Step 4
Hang the branches with ornaments of your choice: perhaps miniature menorahs and oil lamps; dreidels made of paper, wood or lightweight clay; stars of David or animals from Noah's ark.
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Step 5
Top the bush with a large star of David.
Comments
larrye007 said
on 11/19/2008 Sorry, my last post got chopped off. To finish my thought - So... if I do include the lighting the menorah (and having it prominately displayed) and saying prayers, and making latkes... can my Jewish guilt feel better about using blue and white lights to decorate the front of the house, hanging stockings, and maybe some other non-traditional Christmasy things that are more for the children? Hmm... still not sure but it helps to vent and hopefully I'll hear some thoughtful responses.
larrye007 said
on 11/19/2008 I'm in a relationship with a non-Jewish woman who will be converting to Judaism. To add to the complexity of her getting acclimated to the holiday season as a Jew, she has two young children who will not be converting. I am wrestling not only with my own thoughts about the holiday season, but am trying to be considerate and respectful of the children (and their father) and still be true to my own Jewish culture/religion.
I have a very hard time considering a Channukah bush, though I absolutely do appreciate the reference to a Tree of Life. But it was also another great point that a Christmas tree and gift giving is really not a religous symbol either - it is more of Hallmark / cultural importance. So... if I do include the lighting the menorah (and having it prominately displayed) and saying prayers, and making latkes... can my Jewish guilt feel better about using blue and white l
seeker18 said
on 12/8/2007 Jewish law prohibits adopting traditions from other religions because it results in the loss of our own culture and because it can confuse others to make them misunderstand what we do believe. Add to that you are blowing up one of the most minor holidays on our calander to compete with Christmas and you end up warping things so that many christians and jews seem to think that hanukka is just the jewish christmas. We are losing people to christianity. People call themselves jewish but every year they do less and less that makes them jewish, and more and more that either makes them nothing, or makes them christian.
A chunuka bush, or christmas style chunuka lights, violate jewish law acording to most rabbis & ravs, and more than that, they violate the spririt of what we shoudl be about. Don't do it if you care about being jewish.
seeker18 said
on 12/8/2007 Jewish law prohibits adopting traditions from other religions because it results in the loss of our own culture and because it can confuse others to make them misunderstand what we do believe. Add to that you are blowing up one of the most minor holidays on our calander to compete with Christmas and you end up warping things so that many christians and jews seem to think that hanukka is just the jewish christmas. We are losing people to christianity. People call themselves jewish but every year they do less and less that makes them jewish, and more and more that either makes them nothing, or makes them christian.
A chunuka bush, or christmas style chunuka lights, violate jewish law acording to most rabbis & ravs, and more than that, they violate the spririt of what we shoudl be about. Don't do it if you care about being jewish.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Ok folks, it may not be a Hannuka tradition but it doesn't mean it has no place or shouldn't be an additon to the menorah. Its just a decorated tree. It really has no reason for being a Christian tradition either except the fact that someone decided to make it that way. Jesus wasn't born under a tree or anything. And like another person said, presents weren't a Hannuka tradition either. It seemed wrong to me at first but now I just don't see whats the harm. This year I think we will do one. It isn't a Christmas thing if it is decorated with Hannuka things. The tree itself will represent the tree of life and symbolize the survival of our people. This is why a tree is so appropriate. An evergreen is also appropriate because it is a symbol of survival durring a cold winter (much like Jews survive during the many 'cold' times in history and the present day). Unlike many Christians however, I plan to use a potted tree so it will continue to live and grow for many more years after me.