Hanukkah - Michael's Downtown Silver Spring

[Anonymous]

There are absolutely no Hanukkah decorations, crafts etc. at the Michael's in Downtown Silver Spring. A major oversight, since there is a sizable Jewish population nearby. I called and they said that since it is a new store, they were not aware of the demand; however, they take note of zip codes of people who call requesting that their local stores carry Hanukkah merchandise and they consider stocking it the following year, based on the demand. As such, if you want to be able to purchase Hanukkah merchandise at the Michael's in Downtown Silver Spring, please call and let Michael's know. 1-800-MICHAELS. Speak to someone in customer care. I hope that enough people call so that they realize that there is a definite desire for Jewish holiday merchandise around here. Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

It's mid-December op. The Christmas and Hanukkah decorations were put out in October. Everything is gone now.

I was at michaels in aspen hill this weekend, and it was slim pickings. But they still had some Hanukkah stuff. Ditto for cvs and home goods in olney.

[Anonymous]

There were decorations and a ton of gelt at the cash register. Must be gone.

[Anonymous]

I saw them earlier in the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's mid-December op. The Christmas and Hanukkah decorations were put out in October. Everything is gone now.

I was at michaels in aspen hill this weekend, and it was slim pickings. But they still had some Hanukkah stuff. Ditto for cvs and home goods in olney.

Yep.

I drove to five different stores to find some wooden Christmas pieces for my kids to decorate. Christmas and Hannukah crafts are mostly gone. The only things left right now are generic "happy holidays." There are tons of those. Most people who are decorating for the holidays actually celebrate Christmas or Hannuakah and don't seem to want the generic stuff.

OP, would it work for you to just get the generic happy holidays stuff and just decorate them with silver and blue paint to make them more Hannukah themed?

You might also try Joann's. They still seemed to have a few things left, at least here in NOVA.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the feedback.
I had't seen anything at the Silver Spring store and I'm there pretty often. When I asked an employee, they said they never had anything. Customer Care said that it is not a store that caries Hanukkah items. Sounds like maybe there were a few small things that I missed. There is TONS of Christmas stuff there right now.
I don't need things right this second, and settled for blue/white wrapping paper. I just would like them to have more things in the future, hence the request for people to call, if they would like the same, since this helps determines which stores carry Hanukkah items.

[Anonymous]

I shop at Michaels and AC Moore a lot and Hanukkah items are just much fewer to begin with. Even if you request they add some next year, don't expect much.

[Anonymous]

I went to Michaels in outer silver spring (Aspen hill) and they did have a fair number of Hanukkah decorations. When I went back yesterday there were only like one or two things left. The shelves were stripped bare.

I would contact the store manager. I am not Jewish but see lots more Hanukkah stuff in Rockville, Olney, and Aspen hill than I've seen before. Think the downtown Michaels is new and I bet they need you and others to let them know who their market is.

[Anonymous]

I actually read it's a thing, that Michael's doesn't stock a lot of Hannukah stuff because there are fewer people buying it.

[Anonymous]

OP, do you guys have a Hobby Lobby in MD?

You might want to swing by there.

When I went to the one in VA this week, they still had a ton of blue and silver sparkly things, especially in their flower dept.

I know it is not specifically Hannukah, but the colors woukd work if you wanted to decorate your house or mantle.

[Anonymous]

decorating for hanukkah, LOL!

My frum relations do no such decorating. An oil menorah in the window is it. Well oil menorahs, since each member of the family lights their own - the mitzvah is to light your own menorah.

Still I understand, we live in assimilation-land, and families want to decorate so their kids don't envy their neighbors.

How about make your own? Get blue paper, whatever, cut out letters, color things, what ever.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Interesting that you assume that I'm not religious. I am. Actually, my frum family does decorate as do many others that I know; not assimilation, celebration. It's not against Halachah. We also all light our own oil menorahs, why is that mutually exclusive from decorating? It is a happy and celebratory holiday. I don't think it's assimilation at all to enjoy things with children; we decorate our sukkah, what would that be assimilating with? Why is it assumed that it is only something for less religious Jews? Regardless, there's enough nastiness against Jews in this world. Let's just all get along. No need for judgement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the feedback.
I had't seen anything at the Silver Spring store and I'm there pretty often. When I asked an employee, they said they never had anything. Customer Care said that it is not a store that caries Hanukkah items. Sounds like maybe there were a few small things that I missed. There is TONS of Christmas stuff there right now.
I don't need things right this second, and settled for blue/white wrapping paper. I just would like them to have more things in the future, hence the request for people to call, if they would like the same, since this helps determines which stores carry Hanukkah items.

Well, then market forces will tell them they mis-ordered for the area. That's the beauty of capitalism-- market forces create natural consequences!

[Anonymous]

Try Target

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Interesting that you assume that I'm not religious. I am. Actually, my frum family does decorate as do many others that I know; not assimilation, celebration. It's not against Halachah. We also all light our own oil menorahs, why is that mutually exclusive from decorating? It is a happy and celebratory holiday. I don't think it's assimilation at all to enjoy things with children; we decorate our sukkah, what would that be assimilating with? Why is it assumed that it is only something for less religious Jews? Regardless, there's enough nastiness against Jews in this world. Let's just all get along. No need for judgement.

I am not against you decorating - I gave you an idea (make them yourself) for how to do it even if the stores are sold out.

I am not frum myself, and we have done some very light decorating. I just find the need to do it, to the point of it being a big deal when the stuff is sold out, amusing. And assimilation is not all about halacha - its a cultural thing. You can be halachic and adopt cultural practices to emulate the majority, and you can be an atheist and be culturally distinctive (though that is rare these days in the USA - it used to be a way to be Jewish). And yeah, decorating the Sukkah is traditional. Decorating in December is clearly a borrowing. Borrowing may be fun, and may even be necessary. But its still amusing.