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Top 6 Chanukah Gift Ideas for Your Friends & Relatives

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December 1, 2015

Chanukah is called the festival of lights because of the Jewish custom of lighting the menorah (nine-branched candelabrum) during the Jewish month of Kislev (December 6th). For eight days, each of the eight branches of the menorah are lit consecutively, besides the shamash branch, which is placed higher (or lower) than the rest of the other branches and is used for lighting them. The lighting is done to signify the triumph of light, purity, and spirituality over their negative counterparts. 

Chanukah is considered by many as the Jewish equivalent of Christmas, primarily due to the fact that it also involves gift-giving and sharing. However, this is a misplaced comparison since the former does not share the same status as a major holiday as Christmas does among Christians. Even so, since it is also celebrated in December, it has become associated with sharing gifts among loved ones, as well. 

If you are a non-Jew and are planning to celebrate Chanukah with your Jewish friends, you are probably wondering what kind of gifts to give to them. Well, you should know beforehand that deciding on what gift to buy could prove to be difficult, especially if they are Orthodox and follow strict dietary law.

This is why, if you can't decide on what item to buy, you might as well settle for traditional gifts that are usually shared on Chanukah. This way, you can be certain that you won't be giving them a gift that could be considered tactless, without meaning to. These are the items that are highly recommended: 

Chanukah Menorahs

These exquisitely engraved candelabra are a fundamental part of this Jewish holiday, so you can expect that gifting your Jewish friends with them is a solid choice. Menorahs often come in various designs and patterns with intricate Jewish motifs; some place the shamesh above the other branches while others place it below. For the beauty of their designs, you might find it hard to decide on which one to choose. However, the design is really only secondary as the menorah's purpose is what's important. 

Chanukah Candles

Of course, menorahs are never complete if they don't have candles to hold. The candles are commonly multi-colored and usually come in boxes; some are already given as a complimentary item once you buy a menorah. Choosing different colored candles has its perks as it could signify the diversity of each of the eight days of Hanukkah, but know that this is only a matter of preference, as using candles with a single color would suffice as well.

Kiddush Cups

Kiddush cups are often used to hold the wine that is drank on most Jewish holidays during the blessing before meals, making it the perfect gift for any Jewish occasion. Of course, Chanukah is no exception. Most cups are of plain silver design, but there are others engraved with familiar Jewish symbols like the Star of David. Again, these markings do not really matter as the cups are only necessary to hold the wine needed in sanctification.

Havdalah Sets

Havdalah, like Kiddush, is also an indispensable ritual performed in a lot of Jewish occasions. It is a ceremony that marks the end of a holiday and the beginning of a new work week. It is a ceremony that involves stimulating our five primary senses to highlight the difference between the ordinary and the divine. For this purpose, wine, spices, and candles are used. Cups or goblets, as well as a silver tray are used to hold all these items.

It is for this reason that Havdalah sets are a practical gift. They usually include all the items (silver cup and goblet, as well as the candle holder and tray) needed to hold the necessary items in the Havdalah ritual. Many sets have varying embellishments as well, with many depicting the old city of Jerusalem and other Hebrew engravings. 

Jewish Jewelry

You also won't go wrong with jewelry, which are quintessentially Jewish in their designs. There are different kinds of Jewish jewelry available out there. From the shield of Elijah and Star of David pendants to Tikun Hava and Seven Rings of Blessing necklaces, you will never run out of options to choose from. If you choose to go for jewelry, take the time to know the engravings that usually accompany each piece of jewelry, what they stand for as well as their significance, to see if it's something that would fit your friends' preferences. 

Dreidels

Dreidels are four-sided Jewish spinning tops that is commonly made of wood, though there are metal and silver variants as well. Dreidels have four sides engraved with four Hebrew letters, forming the acronym of a phrase which translates to “A great miracle happened there”. This is a great gift to give on Hanukkah because it is customary in most traditional Jewish families to play dreidel games during this holiday.

With the gift ideas above, you shouldn't have a hard time deciding the best gifts for your Jewish friend. In the end, though, it's not so much the gift that counts as the acknowledgment of the value (religious or otherwise) that this special Jewish holiday upholds. 

Author Bio:

Linda Schwartz is a Manager at jJudaica. She manages and develops an online business in cooperation with other teams and ensures a great customer experience. Her passion towards Jewish customs and prayers has lead her to write high-quality content  for different blogs. Her work has attracted many blog readers and received appreciation, as well.

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