Is a tradition of giving Hanukkah presents to kids taken from Christmas?

Answer 1

That's a good question.

Although many answerers and saying that Chanuka came before Christmas, that really doesn't mean anything, since it doesn't mean that giving gifts on Chanuka was done right at the start, in year 165 B.C.

Although it is a tradition to give gelt (money) on this holiday, giving gifts is something that is being done only in the last many years. This is something that slowly filtered through to the jews, and technically, there is nothing wrong with doing it, as it is basically the same thing is giving money.

The tradition of giving money might originate from when the Jews destroyed the armies of the Syrians, they took large quantities of weapons, armor, and money as plunder. And, as was usual in ancient days, this loot was distributed among the victorious soldiers. I propose that this is the true origin of the traditional Chanukah Gelt given during the festival. On the first celebration of Chanukah in Jerusalem, and during the ceremonies of rededicating the Temple, large amounts of these coins were given to the soldiers, the widows and orphans of the war dead.

The tradition has changed from giving money to giving gifts because:
In North America especially, Hanukkah gained increased importance with many Jewish families in the latter half of the twentieth century, including large numbers of secular Jews, who wanted a Jewish alternative to the Christmas celebrations that often overlap with Hanukkah. Though it was traditional to give "gelt" or money coins to children during Hanukkah, in many families this has changed into gifts in order to prevent Jewish children from feeling left out of the Christmas gift giving.

Interesting, isn't it?

Answer 2

Your question interested me, so I did some research for you. Here is what I found:

This is from: http://www.dougshaw.com/essays/hannukah.html

Hanukkah presents are not part of the holiday. There are many pretty little traditions that come with this minor holiday that do not involve buying Pokemon cards. For example, it is customary to play a game called "dreidel." Everybody antes, and then you spin a top, and put in the pot or take out of the pot, depending on what side of the dreidel shows. Since we don't want children to gamble for real money, we give them some candy to put in the pot. Or Hanukkah Gelt, which is coins made out of chocolate. So, yes, kids do get toy dreidels and chocolate coins and such, but that is not the same thing as a Nintendo 256 game system, wrapped up in paper that is any-color-but-red-and-green-because-that-would-be-Christmassy. If you are a gentile and you thought that "Hanukkah Presents" were part of the holiday, I don't blame you; the media certainly portray it that way. Now you know better. If you are a Jew and thought that, then you should be ashamed of yourself.

Now, my comment: I don't think that really answers your question - We all know that Jewish families give presents at Hanukkah - but I can help you with the cronology. The miracle of the lamp (which the Hanukkah tradition is based on) happened about 165 B.C., and Christians first began to celebrate Christmas around 400 A.D.

So, it looks like Hanukka "gifts" precede Christmas gifts by about 500 years, which means that the tradition of giving Hanukkah presents was not taken from Christmas.

Hope I've helped.

Answer 3

The reality is that gift-giving is not a traditional custom of Hanukkah. It is traditional to give gelt to kids on this festive holiday. But gift-giving is a relatively new custom borrowed from our non-Jewish neighbors in America during this holiday season. In fact, if you go to Israel during Hanukkah, you will be hard pressed to find many adults giving Hanukkah presents to children.

Answer 4

Actually no. Hannukah is a holiday that predates the birth of Christ by almost 200 years, and throughout all this time, there have always been gifts given, traditionally in the form of chocolates and money.

Answer 5

It might very well be.

I can tell you that while I grew up in the US, all the hoopla of Xmas was hard to avoid. So it was definitely cool to get presents for 8 days instead of just one.

Better here, where kids have as much to do with Xmas as they do with some Chinese, Indian or Turkish holiday.

Answer 6

Hanukah was before Christmas but I love chocalate gelts! Soooooooo yummy!