Happy Hanukkah and gift ideas

Lifestyle

Hanukkah Sameach! to all our Jewish friends out there and everyone! This year Hanukkah or Jewish Festival of Lights begins on Sunday, December 18 and ends on Monday, December 26.

This Jewish festival commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and the rededication of the Second Temple to the Hebrew god at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.

To summarize, we could say it's a holiday that celebrates purification and freedom from oppression.

The Miracle that inspired Hanukkah

According to the Talmud (one of Judaism’s most central texts), Even though the Seleucids left a small amount of olive oil, enough only to light the Temple’s candelabrum for 1 day. The candles continued to burn for 8 nights. This buys Jadah Maccabee and his followers enough time to get more supply and continue the ritual and cleanse the temple successfully.

Therefore, this miracle became the foundation of a beloved holiday to thank God and celebrate the victory of light over darkness.

Celebration

People would light up the menorah then recite special blessings and prayers. The children would play with a dreidel (a spinner in Yiddish) and eat foods fried in oil, such as doughnuts and latkes (fried potato pancakes).

Songs are sung, and gifts are exchanged to commemorate the miracle in the Temple that happened 2,000 years ago and to remind us of the importance of friends, family and the sparkles of goodness in rough times.

Gift Givings

If you are thinking about gifts for your loved ones, look for Blue and White Gemstones or Jewlery because it's the color that had long been associated to the Jews and it's the color of Israel flag.

It is said that the color was popularize because of The Tallit, or Jewish prayer shawl, which is customarily made in a white fabric with black stripes and one blue string.

So, these are some suggestions from GemTrust to you for the ideal gifts that should be given this Hanukkah.

Lapis Lazuli’s is a great choice for you to choose from hence it represents strength and courage of the Jewish revolutionaries. It can be made into bracelets or necklaces for your loved ones.

Sapphire with its deep blue color and cultural belief to promote wisdom and spiritual truth, can’t be left out of this list! So, if you are looking for the perfect present for Hanukkah, it can be made into a ring or an earring for your loved ones. Take a look of sapphires in our website by scrolling down below!

Customized items that are made in sliver with blue and white decorations hence these 2 colors together represent the ideal spiritual and physical purity. You could add Star of David, The Menorah, The Dreidel, Gelt, Hamsa hand and Chai into the design as these are Jews special cultural symbols.

Don’t hesitate to find the perfect gift! We hope that these eight nights of Hanukkah are filled with light for you and your loved ones.

Paula