SEASON'S GREETINGS:

PHOTOGRAPHERS HOLIDAY CARDS

There is a natural tendency to associate Hanukkah with Christmas since they occur at approximately the same time of year. But contrary to popular belief, Hanukkah is not a Jewish Christmas. The two holidays have quite distinct origins and purposes.

Christmas celebrates the miracle birth of Jesus Christ. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is the eight-day holiday which begins on the 25th day of the lunar month of Kislev, falling normally in December. It marks the victory of the Jews, led by the Maccabees, over Greek persecution and religious suppression. When the Maccabees came to rededicate the Temple of Jerusalem, they found only one flask of oil with which to light the Menorah, the Jewish candelabrum. This small flask lasted for eight days, and in order to commemorate this miracle, the Menorah is lit for the eight days of Hanukkah..

The custom of sending greeting cards during these festive times has become quite popular and represents the essence of this season and the holidays. The exchange of Christmas cards goes back only as far as the 1840's in England. The Christmas card designed for commercial sale was designed by artist John Calcott Horsley in 1843 at the request of Sir Henry Cole. With the growth of the postal service, an abundance of cards were produced and sold. Around 1875, Louis Prang created the first Christmas cards in America. while they originally showed mostly floral designs, they later became the early portrayals of the holiday cards as we know them today. today, greeting cards are the most popular form of social communication during the holiday season.

This exhibition includes an extraordinary collection of works of both professional and amateur photographers. The images capture the essence and true meaning of this season, and inspire the holiday spirit of peace and harmony in all of us.