Do you buy Chanukah presents?

mumoo

Sun, Dec 10 2006, 10:10 pm

I have in the past given small but meaningful presents to my children but we try not to focus on the present aspect as I strongly believe its a total non jewish thing. As some get older, they appreciate gelt, which we find more appropriate, but the 3 year old isn't so thrilled with cash.

And then there is the very generous extended fmaily who emphasizes (we feel) the whole present thing.

Do you do Chanuka presents? One/one each night? Extravagant/tzaske
What about your family/inlaws?

Marion

Sun, Dec 10 2006, 10:44 pm

We'd like to get him his own chanukiyah this year, even though for now he won't really understand it. Probably a few small toys (just because he needs a couple of toys that aren't mukzah!), and a pair of PJs. Growing up we always got stuff we needed (PJs, a new dress or skirt, sweater...) not big expensive items. I expect the grandparents (my parents and ILs) will probably want to spoil him a bit. But they're all rational people, so I don't think it will be a big issue.

BeershevaBubby

Sun, Dec 10 2006, 11:12 pm

Past couple of years I've taken my girls to see 2 movies in the theater, with lunch or dinner in the Mall.

This year though, there are no Harry Potter movies to take them to, and last year we saw Narnia... I have NO idea what's playing in Israeli theaters now...

Maybe Flushed Away... and a fancier dinner...

supermom

Mon, Dec 11 2006, 2:22 am

Since my kids are still small I give them something very small and it makes them happy. Even my five year old thinks these are the greatest chanukah presents. Very Happy

Easy kids

Chocolate coins
balloons
doughnuts
Tape
Coloring books/Crayons
Chocolate lollypops (I make them shaped as menorahs and driedels for the occassion)
Even money my kids pocket it until they find a pushka to put it into
bubbles their favorite

I can't think of anymore stuff that I have given them. Though this year I bought them all those high heel, hard plastic shoes since they love taking my shoes to cluck around with.

Ruchel

Mon, Dec 11 2006, 8:46 am

My parents did buy me many Hanuka presents, I got one each day. They didn't want me to become jealous of non jewish things (instead, the non jews were often jealous lol). I had a neighbour my age who was Jewish and the parents didn't buy real presents, just small stuff, and she always said "when I'll be grown up I'll let my children celebrate Xmas" Crying

BrachaC

Mon, Dec 11 2006, 9:03 am

I can relate to OP. My family never did the gift thing. My mother tried to make the whole week special- we had a nice meal each night, dessert, my father brought home more expensive drinks (Tappuzina was a big deal then) etc. I remember a big emphasis on the gift idea being non jewish. Now we live near my in-laws and we have a big chanuka party where we do the gift giving. It makes me naseous every year, but they love it, and my kids do get great stuff...I try to point my mother in-law in the right direction. Sometimes I succeed. For me it is complicated by the fact that we do buy gifts for his family- mother, father, brother, sister in-law and nephew- while we could never do that for my family- I am one of six, and have nieces and nephews etc, or don't even get things for my parents...It just feels weird. I try to sometimes "make it up" (in my mind) by giving them birthday presents etc, but the sheer numbers make it tough.

mumoo

Mon, Dec 11 2006, 11:45 am

Ruchel wrote:

im a little wary of this....

mumoo

Mon, Dec 11 2006, 11:51 am

Quote:

we have a big chanuka party where we do the gift giving. It makes me naseous every year, but they love it, and my kids do get great stuff..

Bracha, if you don't do gifts for your own children , how do they feel about it?

I understand the nauseous thing-
1. partly because I don't like seeing my kids ripping present after present, hardly appreciating the last one and

2. partly because I have to make myself meshugge buying the right things for nephews, etc. We dont exchange with siblings but I have to come up with great present ideas for inlaws that we can afford and that they don't already have (my fabulous dh is just getting gift cards for everyone this year. Boring but sanity saving

mama247

Tue, Dec 12 2006, 9:01 pm

I actually wanted to start this thread but found this first. Good thing!
Anyway, I try to get my kids little things for each night, but one night I buy them each a Jewish book or CD. My parents used to only buy us Jewish stuff for Chanukah. I can't do that every night because it's too expensive. You can't find really cheap Jewish gifts (I'm talking dollar store stuff) where I live. I do buy small presents for my nieces and nephews, which is starting to get out of hand - we're K"H up to 22 now (between both sides), but I hate getting together with them empty-handed.
I've been re-thinking all of this lately (too late for this year, but maybe next year). A few weeks ago my daughter told me that Chanukah and x-mas are really the same, just chanukah is for Jews and x-mas is for non jews!!! I got really serious with her and had a long talk about the differences. I was just listening to the Glen Beck Show this morning and he was saying how much he hates what x-mas has become and he wants to warn the Jews not to let Chanukah become the same way. I think certainly outside of Orthodoxy and some within it already has become that way, unfortunately. Maybe next year we'll just do a few Jewish gifts and some gelt. I don't know.

shabbatiscoming

Wed, Dec 13 2006, 5:34 am

growing up, we never got gifts. my parents got us the chocolate gelt and my grand[arents gave us a little bit of gelt, that was it.

I think that the whole idea of chanuakh gifts came about to combat the whole chrismas gifts idea. it is a non jewish idea to give gifts this time of year.

queen

Wed, Dec 13 2006, 7:41 am

Growing up within the immediate family my parents would give us a couple gifts, but nothing big at all. and between my own siblings, we don't really give each others kids CHanukah gifts.

My husbands family though- I'm finding that all the siblings are giving all their neices/nephews gifts. It becomes an "obligation" as how can you not give them back when you know they'll be giving you....... Confused

The above being said- I don't feel it a contradiction to my having bought my husband all sorts of little gifts for Chanukah. It's an excuse to get him things he needs, plus- he's my husband. Running around getting age appropriate gifts for each neice and nephew- to me, has the feeling of Dec. 25th shopping, and not Chanukah.

and.... I usually do end up sending my own siblings kids gifts- but they are not anything expensive, but rather little thoughts... in contrast with $5-10 items/kid for the nieces/nephews.

but I don't think we have a choice.... kind of just have to go with the flow.

mama247

Wed, Dec 13 2006, 12:19 pm

Just wanted to add that gift giving is actually a Jewish concept for the Yomim Tovim. My husband gets me something for every chag and I try to get the kids something new to wear or a new game for every chag too. Granted, Chanukah isn't one of the shalosh regalim or yomim noraim, but it's a chag nonetheless. Am I just rationalizing?

purplesquare

Wed, Dec 13 2006, 12:30 pm

my dh and I talked about it at length. I grew up receiving gelt not gifts but his siblings give out gifts to all the nieces and nephews. we're married almost a year and have already received gifts in the mail for the baby. we decided to give each niece/nephew a 2 dollar bill. it's gelt it's different and it's cheaper then spending 5-10$ on the combined 19 nieces/nephews

mumoo

Sun, Dec 17 2006, 9:25 pm

mama247 wrote:

I think if a gift is presented that way, it fits in the yiddishe values we want

I also agree with queen, the running for neices/nephews starts to feel like xmas shopping

dr pepper

Sun, Dec 17 2006, 9:33 pm

One gift per child. DH grew up with no gifts and I grew up with a lot of gifts. My parents still buy my children 5 or 6 gifts each. It's really overkill, but they like to do it. I just spent over an hour tonight reorganizing my downstairs and rearranging closets because the kids brought home too many toys from the grandparents.

amother

Mon, Dec 18 2006, 5:58 pm

my father just gives $100 for each person and each grandchild. This way some parents buy the kids toys and also you can add it up and buy your kids something big. By my in laws they still give my kids toys so they end up getting a lot every year.