Free Hanukkah Cards

Perhaps you don’t know what Hanukkah means but you might know somebody who is celebrating this traditional Jewish holiday (also called the festival of lights or Chanukkah) and you’d like to send them a card. Here are some beautiful (and free!) printable Hanukkah cards in English and Spanish that can also be shared electronically. In case you’re wondering, I am Jewish and I plan on printing these cards and using them as gift tags, too.

According to Jewish tradition, Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights celebrates a great Jewish military victory and a miraculous supply of oil for the Temple. The Maccabees were able to light the special candelabra of the Temple for eight consecutive days with a minimal amount of oil, which should have lasted only for one day. That’s why during the Festival of Lights, Jews light a special menorah called hanukiah for eight nights.

This year Hanukkah begins on the evening of December 12 and ends on December 20. It is customary to gather with family or friends for the lighting of the hanukkiah (the special Hanukkah menorah), exchange gifts (in my family, we only give gifts to children) and eat fried foods such as latkes (fried potato pancakes) and sufganiot (jelly-filled donuts) to mark this special (yet minor) holiday. It is also traditional to thank G’d for protecting us.