Are
you finished with all your holiday shopping? Do you still need to buy a gift
for someone and have no idea what to get? We have teamed up with some
fellow bloggers to provide you with fantastic gift ideas for pretty much
everyone on your list.
What
to Give Jewish Friends for Hanukkah
If
you want to give a Jewish friend something for the holidays, if your family
celebrates Christmas, and your child's best friend is Jewish, or you work with
someone who's Jewish, what should you get them? Here's the ultimate guide for
Hanukkah gift giving!
8
do's and don'ts in Hanukkah gift giving:
1. Hanukkah
is not the Jewish Christmas: First of all, it's important to know that
Hanukkah is not a "Jewish Christmas". It’s a Jewish holiday that is
much less important in Jewish religious terms than Christmas is to Christians.
However in the United States especially, Hanukkah has taken on a gift-giving
dimension because it just happens to be in the month of December, during the
Christmas season.
2. Do
give: books, clothes, toys, electronics, equipment, alcohol beverages,
jewelry, trips, cash, and gifts of time such as free babysitting or a work
shift, or donations to charity.
3. DON’T
give a Hanukkah gift with a pattern of Christmas trees or Santa or pass on
clothes with red and Green colors. Christmas colors are red and green.
Hanukkah colors are blue and white.
4. Give
It During the Holiday: Try to give it in a timely fashion, meaning
during Hanukkah. This year Hanukkah is December 16th until December 24th 2014.
5. Rely
on Traditional Hanukkah Gifts: If you're Uncertain, it’s always a safe bet to
give something traditional.
6. DON’T
Wrap a Hanukkah Gift in Christmas wrapping: Avoid wrapping a Hanukkah gift in
Christmas wrapping paper; if you buy wrapping paper, select a generic pattern
or special Hanukkah wrapping.
7. Buy
or make a Hanukkah card: Don't put a Christmas card on your Hanukkah gif. Make
a combo of Christmas-Hanukkah gift wrap for mixed-faith families.
8. If
you're invited to a Hanukkah dinner try to familiarize yourself with the
holiday basics: During Hanukkah a candle is lighted in the Menorah each evening
through the eight days of Hanukkah as a blessing is recited. Each day a candle
is added until in the 8th night of Hanukkah all eight candles are lit.
Traditional foods include potato latkes, applesauce and brisket. Spinning the
dreidel (a four-sided top) for "Hanukkah gelt" (gold-wrapped
chocolate coins) is another part of the celebration.
* Don't
ask the hosts or their children if they wish they could have a Hanukkah bush or
stockings.
* Don't
blow out the candles.
* Don't
fuss about how latkes don't fit into your diet.
8
ideas for HANUKKAH GIFT GIVING
In
honor of eight nights of Hanukkah here are 8 Hanukkah gift ideas.
1. Food
Gifts
Every holiday has special foods that are traditional. For Chanukah,
latkes (potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream) are a must. Fresh
fruit baskets, fancy mixed nuts, dried fruits or sweets are good suggestion but
the best idea (at least for me) is a cookie gift.
Cheryl's Cookies has
Hanukkah cookies you can buy packaged in a lovely blue and white holiday boxes.
Also consider giving a dozen doughnuts, especially jelly doughnuts, since an
Israeli custom of having them for Hanukkah has caught on in the U.S. in the
past decade or so. Remember before giving cookies, or any food gift, make sure
that the recipient doesn’t keep Kosher. If keeping Kosher is the
challenge,
Harry
and David has some kosher gift baskets that anyone would enjoy.
2. Gifts
for Kids
For children, the equivalent of Christmas stocking-stuffers are
a dreidel (a special toy top with Hebrew letters on each side), or
Hanukkah Gelt - little bags of chocolate wrapped in gold paper to look like
coins.
HanukkahGelt.com has
great deals for both chocolate and dreidles. Kids can spend hours of fun doing
crafts.
The
Craft Shop has many Hanukkah craft options. The
KidKraft
Wooden Chanukah Set is another option to consider.
3. Books
4. Candles
or Menorahs
Chanukah is the festival of lights, so what
better gift to give than candles and Menorahs, the candelabra for
Chanukah. In order for it to be true to the holiday, it should have 8
places for the candles to fit, along with a ninth space for the Shamas or
candle for the sole purpose of lighting the other eight candles. Anything
less is not a true Menorah. There is a huge selection on
JudaicaWebStore.com ranging
from traditional style to artistic and modern.
5. Charitable
Donations
“Deeds of giving are the very foundations of
the world” (Jewish saying) In the Jewish religion philanthropy is an obligation.
One should never turn away from someone in need. So, giving a donation on
someone’s behalf is considered a “Mitzvah” or good deed. It doesn't
matter if the charity is specific for Jewish people as long as it's an
organization that is supported by the recipient. Getting a card with the
donation written on it will make anyone mushy.
6. Handmade
Gifts
For
all you crafters out there who are looking for handmade gift ideas here are a
few easy, fun and beautiful projects.
Hanukkah
in a jar is a practical gift. Just fill a mason jar or any plastic jar
and fill it with candles, gold chocolate coins and a dreidel. Embellish it with
white and blue ribbons, glitter and card. Alcohol is a great gift for every
holiday.
Decorated
wine bottles with printed Hanukkah labels will make everyone happy!
One of Hanukkah's fun traditions is the
dreidel game. It
will become a wonderful gift for kids when it's presented inside
a cloth sack customized with the rules. Fill bag with a dreidel and counters
(you can use coins, candies, or buttons).
7. Funny
gifts
In
Jewish tradition being happy and laugh during the holiday is a must, so what
better way than to give a funny humorous gift. The best gifts are those with a
little self humor…The
Schlep
bag is a joke about the Yiddish word that means carry with while
complaining.
The Mench on a
Bench is the Elf on a shelf's Jewish counterpart and
Oy to the world cd is a funny music
cd.
8. Let
them buy their own gift!
If
you have no idea what to buy there is always the option of a gift card.
This way the recipient can buy themselves whatever they want and everybody's
happy!
Don't
miss the giveaway! Be sure to enter here for a chance to win a Target gift
card!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And
don't forget to checkout all the gift guides below!
Happy
Holidays!
Have
fun creating...and shopping!
Einat
