Every year, in December, my family celebrates one night of Hanukkah with my sister’s family. My boys really enjoy lighting the menorah and hearing the story of Hanukkah. It makes our holiday season multi-cultural and enriching. Each year, I scrapbook the memories and create gift tags and cards for my Jewish friends.

Hanukkah is the story of a great victory of the Jews over the Syrian-Greeks. After the Temple had been cleaned and the Priests were ready to light the Temple menorah, they could find only one jug of oil that was fit to use. This was only enough for one day, but it lasted for eight. This is why Hanukah is eight days long. For eight days, the menorah is lit to celebrate the victory and the miracle of Hanukah.

Hanukkah abounds in traditions. Families prepare foods fried in oil, such as latkes and sufganiyot. Children playing the dreidel game and receive Hanukkah gelt (chocolate coins.) Little presents are given to the children each night. The designers below captured some of these traditions on their pages.

Festival of Lights by Nancy Ahlsen

Digital Supplies: Happy Hanukkah by Andilynn Designs (ScrapMatters), Software: Adobe Photoshop Elements 8, Font: Pea Michelle.

Design Notes: Use a recurring element (in this case curly string and ribbon) to bring continuity to your page.

Journaling: The American Adventure has a storyteller that explains Hanukkah and the Jewish Festival of Lights. This window display had several different menorahs. Each one had the nine candle holders a symbol of the eight days the oil lasted in order to re-consecrate the temple. One candle is lit each night during the Festival of Lights.

The Handpainted Hanukkah by Lisa Swift

Supplies: Paper: BasicGrey, Cardstock: SEI, Bazzill Basics Paper, Chipboard: BasicGrey, Rub-Ons: Scenic Route Paper, Doodlebug Design, Flowers: Bazzill Basics Paper, Queen & Co, Die Cuts: BasicGrey, Stickers: American Crafts, Making Memories, Card Blanc, Brads: Doodlebug Design, Other: tag, thread, Font: Decker. Tools: Other: sewing machine.

Design Notes: Be sure to get photos of your children creating holiday crafts, gifts, and keepsakes. Journaling (on pull-out tag): You painted a menorah for PopPop's collection because, you said, he deserves a special gift once in a while.

Title-800 CAL by Irit Shalom

Supplies: Paper: Pink Paislee, Cardstock: American Crafts, Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts, Rub-Ons: K & Company, Die Cuts: Doodlebug Design, Journaling Spots: Making Memories, Stickers: EK Success, Provo Craft, Pens: Pigma.

Design Notes: Try scrapping out of the box and not using the usual symbols and colors of Hanukkah for a fresh holiday page. I decided to scrap about a holiday treat called Sufgania, like a large donut. I used the colors of light and not the usual blue and white color scheme.

Journaling: Our Hanukkah is all about light. But it's all about food too. This is SUFGANIA-a kind of donut with red jelly and 800 calories we don't need. You eat it everywhere: at work,at home,at dance class. You eat about 20-30 of them during eight days.