Falling in Love with Hannukah

The first night of Hanukkah is always on the 25th day of the month of Kislev on the Jewish calendar. The dates of Jewish holidays do not change from year to year. The Jewish calendar is based on a lunar year, which is shorter than a solar year. This means that the holiday lands in different parts of our solar calendar each year. This year Hanukkah starts in November, and I am here for it!

Planning out an intentionally autumnal floral palette was exciting for me from the start. I know that creatively embracing the season would be inspirational for others as they decorate for Hanukkah.

The hero in my installation is the beautifully draping ornamental amaranth. I picked up these beauties as live branchy stems from the Twin Cities Flower Exchange where I get my chemical free regional botanicals. I dried them on my pulley system fixture in the Atmospheric Workshop. They can get a little straight and stiff, so when I use them in installations, I will use a light water mister to soften them slightly to get them to droop the way I want them to.

Feather top grass was another favorite fluffy component in this display. They add a touch of whimsy and lightness. The supporting cast of salal leaves, setaria and plumosa fern add a variety of texture.

Usually, I try to pick a focal flower for a creation like this. Instead, the Star of David serves as the most important focal of all. I wired it into the installation and added some glorious hand dyed silk ribbon for some extra drama.

To replicate this kind of look, you don’t need to do hang anything in the air! As you see in the vase arrangement, you can play with similar lines and textures. With some chicken wire mechanics as a base, you can even recreate this look on your mantle or table. I teach these techniques in my Floral Cloud, Mantlescape and Centerpiece Workshop. There is time before Hanukkah to come and learn these techniques at my workshop on November 18th. You can sign up from the landing page or in the workshops section of this site.

Embracing nature that feels of the moment for a holiday that moves around on the solar calendar can serve to shake up your Hanukkah décor and result in something different every year. It is a fun design challenge that I encourage you to try.

Have a Happy Hanukkah full of nature and love!

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