5 Facts About Hanukkah You May Not Know

Corrie on November 24, 2012


Also known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah (alternatively spelled Chanukah) is a Jewish religious holiday celebrated annually for eight days. The holiday commemorates a miraculous event which occurred in the second century B.C. during the Maccabean  Revolt. When the Second Temple in Jerusalem was rededicated, the menorah candles burned for eight days even though there was only oil enough for a single day.

Hanukkah’s date changes each year owing to the Hebrew lunar calendar. In 2012, Hanukkah begins after sundown on December 8, and continues until sundown on December 16.

Here are five facts about Hanukkah you may not know:

  1. The story of Hanukkah isn’t in the Torah because the Jewish revolt against the King of Syria and the temple miracle happened after the Torah was written. It is mentioned in the New Testament in John 10:22, where Hanukkah is referenced as the “feast of dedication.”
  2. The nine-branched candelabrum used during the Hanukkah celebration is called a “hanukiah.” The central candle (ninth) is called the “shamash” or “helper.”
  3. Foods eaten in celebration of Hanukkah are often fried in oil to commemorate the temple miracle. Most popular are latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot or sufganiyah (jam filled doughnuts), a popular Israeli Hanukkah treat.
  4. Because Hanukkah often overlaps Christmas, in North America, Jewish families frequently celebrate both holidays. Some families even go so far as to celebrate the pop culture, interfaith hit, Chrismukkah, a lighthearted mash-up of Christmas and Hanukkah.
  5. A game is traditionally played with a four-sided top called a dreidel. Each side of the dreidel has a Hebrew letter which creates an acronym for phrase, “nes gadol hayah sham” – a great miracle happened here.

Greeting Card Universe helps you celebrate Hanukkah with friends, family, coworkers, and business partners with unique traditional and modern designs from our international community of artists.

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5 Things You May Not Know About Thanksgiving

Corrie on November 16, 2012

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
—–Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the United States, Thanksgiving falls annually on the fourth Thursday in November. The celebration of family usually includes a traditional feast of turkey with the trimmings, although in recent years, alternatives to the Thanksgiving turkey, such as vegetarian options, have become more popular.

Here are five things about the history of this American holiday.

Thanksgiving Becomes Official: While arguably the first Thanksgiving dinner took place in 1621 (remember the story of the Pilgrims and the Native Americans you were taught in school?), the holiday was celebrated on different dates by the individual states until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday to be observed each November.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Other parades may march the streets of cities across the U.S. on Thanksgiving Day, but the parade sponsored by Macy’s is the second largest in America and watched by over 50 million people on TV, and 3.5 million spectators in New York City. The first Macy’s Day Parade took place in 1924. The famous giant helium balloons were added in 1927, and the spectacle continues today.

Don’t Be a Turkey: This is not a good time to be a plump, delicious turkey. Eighty-eight percent of Americans consume nearly 46 million turkeys  at Thanksgiving. Annually, each American eats an average of 13.3 pounds of turkey – hopefully not all on the same day!

What Was on the Menu for the First Thanksgiving Feast? Venison, geese, swans and ducks, shellfish, lobster, and pumpkins, though not in the form of pies. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc. came much, much later to the American dinner table.

“Franksgiving”: During the Depression in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to move the date for Thanksgiving back a week to the third Thursday in November, hoping to increase retail sales to boost the struggling economy. People hated the idea and began calling the holiday, “Franksgiving.” It wasn’t a compliment. Finally, in 1941, Roosevelt bowed under pressure and signed a bill officially naming the fourth Thursday in November as the official date for the holiday.

Greeting Card Universe offers nearly 14,000 unique Thanksgiving cards in many themes and in 64 categories for all your friends, coworkers, business associates, and every member of your family. Need last minute cards? Order online and get free in-store pick up at Target stores

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National American Teddy Bear Day

Corrie on November 12, 2012

November 14 marks National American Teddy Bear Day, when we celebrate the flurry, furry, cute stuffed animals that delight us as children, and continue to hold our hearts when we grow up.

Since 1902, teddy bears have remained an extremely popular gift for children (and sweethearts). A couple of the world;’s most famous teddy bears are Winnie the Pooh and Paddington Bear.

The Teddy Bear Cops program provides the stuffed animals to police, other emergency responders, and firefighters to give kids during crises. Other charities collect donations of new teddy bears to give to children with cancer, patients in the hospital, and other worthy causes.

Teddy bears remain a popular subject on all types of products, including greeting cards. At Greeting Card Universe, we offer teddy bear themed cards for many different holidays and occasions. When you want to send your “beary” best wishes to family and friends, it’s hard to beat a bear!

A teddy bear is a faithful friend,
You can pick him up at either end.
His fur is the colour of breakfast toast,
And he’s always there when you need him most.
—–Anonymous

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National Family Caregiver Month

Corrie on November 8, 2012

November is National Family Caregiver Month as proclaimed by U.S. President Barack Obama in 2012.

In many American families, caring for a loved one who can no longer care for themselves because of debilitating injury, disease, or other cause falls to relatives, spouses, partners, friends, and neighbors. These caregivers dedicate many hours to tending the needs of another, bringing comfort and support. Their love and compassion makes a difference every day in someone else’s life.

These caregivers often go unnoticed and unacknowledged. National Family Caregivers Month raises awareness of the important role family caregivers play, and encourages everyone to offer their support and gratitude to these selfless individuals.

At Greeting Card Universe, we feature unique Caregiver Encouragement and Caregiver Thank You cards with heart warming messages for you to send. Choose your card from our collection of designs, personalize, and we’ll put your best wishes in the mail the next business day.

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“This is the second year that I have purchased our company Christmas cards for all of our accounts. Over 150 holiday cards all came out great. It’s nice that I can customize them with what I want to be written inside and even put an image of our company logo! I received our shipment earlier than expected and packaged very professionally. I would recommend this site to anyone looking to order greeting cards for any occasions. Thank you!”- Shirene Derakhshandeh, November 8, 2012