It's two weeks until Hanukkah—the Jewish Festival of Lights.
The dates for Hanukkah follow the Hebrew Calendar—beginning on the 25th day of Kislev—and the holiday can fall anywhere from late November to late December on the Gregorian (modern day) Calendar. This year, Hanukkah will begin at sundown on Christmas Day. This coincidence occurs infrequently, most recently in 2005. Before that, Hanukkah coincided with Christmas Day in 1959, 1921, and 1910. The next time that Hanukkah will begin on Christmas Day will be in 2035.
The Hanukkah menorah, shown above, was cast in bronze in the form of a windswept cypress tree. It holds eight candles—one for each night of the celebration—plus the shamash, the "helper candle," which is used to light the other eight. The shamash should be placed in the uppermost holder in the candelabrum. The proper name for a Hanukkah menorah is a Hanukkiya.
This handsome menorah is appropriate for display year 'round. When placed on a high mantelpiece or shelf, where the candleholes are not visible, one may not even realize that it is a menorah. It looks like a beautiful piece of naturalistic bronze sculpture. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome work of art.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248