My 1st Chanukkah! HELP!?

Question

Hi there

I live alone and am celebrating Chanukkah this year. I believe in Yeshua and am abandoning the Pagan Christmas.

I know about the candles and foods, dreidel. There are some things I will participate in at my Messianic Synagogue.

But what do I do for gifts? Am I to give one every day, right?

Is it ok if some are to family, some friends, some to people at the synagaogue, or must it be all family??

http://www.migdalohrcanada.com/migdalohr.html

Blessings,
David

Answer 1

How to Buy Hanukkah Gifts

Tell a non-Jewish kid about Hanukkah, and watch his eyes light up: “You get presents for eight days in a row? What an awesome deal!” However, there are very few Jewish households where kids receive eight Christmas-sized presents for eight days running. Usually, the gift-giving protocol skews one of two ways: a big (Christmas-grade) gift at the start of the holiday, or eight smaller gifts throughout its course. Confused yet? Here’s a quick guide.
Instructions

* STEP 1: Stick to a budget. If you have three kids (or five nephews, or seven cousins), eight gifts per child can quickly put a dent in your credit card. Resolve to spend no more than $5 (or $2, or $10) per gift, and stick to your guns. Nothing will stir sibling rivalry more than one Hanukkah gift that’s a little nicer and more expensive than another—even if you compensate by spending less on that child’s other gifts.
* STEP 2: Get your shopping done all at once. The last thing you want is to recreate the last-minute Christmas shopping rush every night for more than a week. If you have the time, try buying online and having a big box of gifts delivered to your home, where you can sort them out at your leisure. If you can’t spare the shipping time, spend a couple of hours at a reputable chain store and fill up your shopping cart. It’ll be exhausting, but worthwhile in the long run.
* STEP 3: Mix things up a bit. It’s not necessary for kids to receive a real, functional, TV-advertised toy for every day of Hanukkah. Many parents give their kids bags of gelt (foil-wrapped chocolate coins) one or two times, and assorted Hanukkah notions (like dreidels or dreidel-shaped candies) one or two others, or even the occasional one-dollar (or five-dollar) bill. This way, you can afford to splurge more on those days when you do give a toy.
* STEP 4: If you’d like to follow the Christmas model, it’s perfectly acceptable to give your kids a big toy at the start of the holiday (or, if you want them to behave and observe Hanukkah respectfully, the end). In some Jewish households, celebrating Hanukkah this way makes up for the lack of Christmas gifts, which many Jewish kids feel acutely at this time of the year.
* STEP 5: Don’t accept any whining. Just the same as with Christmas, receiving a Hanukkah gift is a privilege, and not a right. If your kids (or your sister’s kids) complain about the presents they’ve received, remind them that many kids around the world, of many different religions, don’t receive any presents at all. Ever.

What To Look For

* Family activities
* Reflection of family values
* Spirit of giving

Answer 2

Realize that the celebration has everything to do with Dedication (Chanuk) and nothing to do with giving gifts. Yes, it has become a recent tradition to give gifts for 8 nights, but that is a rather liberal tradition - it isn't Orthodox. The liberals wanted a "Jewish Christmas" - they weren't satisfied with the Orthodox traditions.

Look, you are free to ignore gift giving entirely. Or you can give a gift only on the last night if you want, or only on the first night, or every night. It really doesn't matter - you have freedom on this. Don't put yourself into financial bondage. Freedom is what Chanukkah is all about. Freedom from the bondage of the paganization of society.

The Abomination of Desolation came at this time and it will come again at this time. Back then the pagans defiled the Temple in Jerusalem by offering a pig on the altar. Since the body is considered to be a Temple, it is only natural that we see the tradition of putting ham into the Temple at this time. They carry on the Abomination of Desolation year after year and called it "Christmas Ham".

So feel free to give gifts to everyone if you want, or to no one. If you do give gifts they should be of a spiritually uplifting nature, not things which would emphasize materialism.

Answer 3

look for meaning in the gifts you give, it doenst need to be one per day, but it is a holiday that focuses greatly on what we have in our lives; the light that we bring to each other. There is no limit on who you give to, but remember, often the best gifts cannot be bought with money (however the supplies to make them can be)!

Answer 4

giving gifts happens to be pretty irrelevant with chanuka.
we celebrate the fact that after our Holy Temple was desecrated
we found one sealed, undesecrated jar of oil (according to halacha the oil has to be sealed in the jar) that is enough to burn on the Menorah for one day. the miracle was that the menorah burned for 8 days until they were able to make new, fresh, clean oil.
you're (and anyone who's reading this) is welcome to email me for more information about chanuka, and any other parts of Judaism.

Answer 5

I give one a night, smalleset to biggest or least expensive to most expensive. The gifts can go to anyone you wish.

Answer 6

i agree with C J wrote.

Answer 7

or, you could just admit that you are Christian. That would make a whole lot more sense.