Hanukkah | Greeting Cards

The giving and receiving of gifts is an annual tradition each Hanukkah / Chanukkah for many families and friends. The origin story of why we do this varies depending on who you speak to about it. Some are of the opinion that the only reason for gifts is because those Jewish people living amongst other cultures began to feel left out when they saw Christmas gifts being exchanged around the same time of year. However, others explain that modern gifting is just an adaptation of the Hanukkah story of dreidel and gelt, where children were kept occupied with treats and the game was used as a distraction to allow the Jewish people to continue performing their Torah studies and cultural practices without being caught by the conquering army.

Either way, where we have currently landed is that most people have their own traditions and find what feels best to them. Whether you get gifts all 8 nights, or don't do gifts at all - your Hanukkah / Chanukkah can still be a special holiday filled with joy (and latkes and dreidel and songs while lighting candles).

The giving and receiving of Hanukkah / Chanukkah gifts is an annual tradition each Hanukkah / Chanukkah for many families and friends. The origin story of why we do this varies depending on who you speak to about it. Some are of the opinion that the only reason for gifts on Hanukkah / Chanukkah is because those Jewish people living amongst other cultures began to feel left out when they saw Christmas gifts being exchanged around the same time of year. However, others explain that modern Hanukkah / Chanukkah gifting is just an adaptation of the Hanukkah story of dreidel and gelt, where children were kept occupied with treats and the game was used as a distraction to allow the Jewish people to continue performing their Torah studies and cultural practices without being caught by the conquering army.

Either way, where we have currently landed is that most people have their own traditions and find what feels best to them. Whether you get gifts all 8 nights, or don't do gifts at all - your Hanukkah / Chanukkah can still be a special holiday filled with joy (and latkes and dreidel and songs while lighting candles).

In our family, the children are typically given one night of presents by our parents - something fun, yet practical; and then our mother crafts each of her children (and now grandchildren) a unique card for each of the eight nights! With four children that was 32 cards just for us! Sometimes they have a piece of chocolate gelt inside or they might just have a small note, but the creativity and thought has always been incredibly meaningful. 

For those of us that aren't inclined to customize that quantity of gift cards ourselves, JewishJoy.co has curated a collection of handmade greeting cards that can help you celebrate the holiday in your own way!

You can opt to stay seasonal with the Hey! Dreidel Card from Everyday Yiddish or one of the papercut Menorah cards from Two Hermanas.

Alternatively, you could choose to proceed with more of a classic Jewish cultural reference route and order one of the Star of David or Noah's Ark papercut cards by Two Hermanas.

For the tech-savvy recipient in your life (or if you are running late with your shipment this year) - consider a Gift Card from JewishJoy.co! They're available in a variety of denominations and you can include a note with the email.