Sure, it’s easy to buy a toy or a sweater as a holiday gift. But sometimes, you want to purchase something more meaningful and that lends itself to the holiday you’re celebrating. And the same sentiment can be said for Chanukah, the Jewish 8-day celebration that is often referred to as the “festival of lights”. It’s celebrated by lighting a menorah each night, saying special prayers, and, of course, eating yummy food. So if you’re looking for something that relates to the holiday, these 10 gifts for Chanukah will have everyone verklempt with happiness.
This year, Chanukah begins the evening on Sunday, December 22 and ends in the evening of Monday, December 30. Compared to previous years, Chanukah runs later, and is parallel to Christmas, which doesn’t often happen. Unlike Christmas, which is always December 25, Chanukah doesn’t follow the Gregorian calendar. Interestingly enough, it is on the same day each year, though: the 25th day of the month of Kislev on the Jewish calendar, according to Hanukkahfun.com.
So whether you’re looking for something for your child, your mom, or your bubbe, these 10 gifts for Chanukah can be great for those eight crazy nights.
The Couple’s Bucket List
What greater way to connect with your partner than by talking about the dreams you can share together? The Couple’s Bucket List ($50) has 100 idea cards for you to use to come up with everything from spicing up date night to bigger-picture goals for your relationship. It will allow you to see your partner in a whole new (and exciting) light.
Happy Hanukkah Chocolate Pizza
Sure, Chanukah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian army — but it’s also about the food, too. So push the potato pancakes aside and savor this Happy Hanukkah Chocolate Pizza ($22) instead. It’s made with sumptuous handcrafted gourmet chocolate (your choice of milk chocolate or dark), has homemade English toffee, and is sprinkled with blue and white chocolate candies and sweet sugary snowflakes. It even arrives adorably in a pizza box. Everyone will think you got the delicious treat delivered right to your door.
Davco Hanukkah Socks
To keep the celebration going (and to keep your tootsies warm), put on these precious Hanukkah Theme Crew Socks from Davco ($16). They’re made from acrylic, polyester, nylon, and spandex, so they’re stretchy comfort for your feet. With their whimsical design, they’ll give you all the festive feels.
The Chosen One Game
How good is your Jew-ish? Test your mettle with The Chosen One Game ($35). There are 418 cards in the set, which ask questions that require some chutzpah to answer, like “___ The real reason my parents made me marry Jewish.” Break out the cards during Chanukah, but be warned — some of the answers might make your mother plotz on the floor.
Michel et Augustin Cookies
You’ll need something sweet to savor the eight days of Chanukah. So skip the Sufganiyot and head straight to the Michel et Augustin Cookies ($10). The buttery square shortbread cookies are bursting with a decadent dark chocolate ganache and are topped with a pinch of sea salt. Delish.
What Do You See on Chanukah?
You can teach your child all about Chanukah and its traditions with the sweet board book, What Do You See On Chanukah? ($9) They’ll learn everything from basic vocabulary words and understand why the menorah is lit every night. If you’re looking for a way to introduce the idea of the holiday, this book is one of the top gifts for Chanukah.
The Amazing Adventures of Super Dreidel
The Amazing Adventures of Super Dreidel ($12) lets your child become a master storyteller. In the book, Rachel and her brother Randy create a Super Dreidel that allows them to time travel back to help the Maccabees fight against the Greeks. At the end of the book, there are two pages for your child to write her own ending to determine if the siblings make it back home in time for Chanukah or if they’re flattened like potato pancakes by a Greek fighting elephant.
D Is For Dreidel
The book D Is For Dreidel ($9) allows your child to learn the alphabet in a whole new way. Your little one can learn what each letter means as it relates to Chaunkah-themed concepts and ideas. Each word is accompanied by an illustration so that he learns what gelt, latkes, and yes, dreidels are — and their significance to the holiday.
Watch What Happens Live Mazel Off-The-Shoulder Sweatshirt
If you love your Bravolebrities, you’re definitely going to swoon over the Watch What Happens Live Mazel Off-The-Shoulder Sweatshirt ($50). The sweatshirt has a little Flashdance action happening with its off-the-shoulder design. And with its Mazel well wishes, you’ll spread cheer (and hopefully not shade) wherever you go.
Learn To Read Hebrew In Six Weeks
If your kid needs to brush up on his Hebrew before his Bar Mitzvah, he can do some serious reviewing with the book, Learn To Read Hebrew In Six Weeks ($22) by Miiko Shaffier. It incorporates memory tricks that your child will find fun (and not boring) so that she can remember every letter in the Hebrew alphabet.
And there you have it — 10 gifts for Chanukah that everyone (even the goys) will think are amazing.