Eight Cheap Hanukkah Gifts for Eight Nights

When I accepted this assignment, I thought "what, Hanukkah gifts?" People who celebrate Hanukkah want the same gifts as people who celebrate Christmas - same toys, same clothes, same tech items. So I narrowed down the concept. Below I give you eight Hanukkah gifts specific to Hanukkah itself for the eight nights of the holiday.

1. Menorah (from $1.94)

Whether you're Jewish or not, the first Hanukkah symbol that pops into your mind is probably the menorah. Menorahs are generally pretty expensive, but you can find these great Hanukkah gifts for under $25. Try looking at Menorah.com, who say that they have "the world's largest collection of menorahs".

For examples of menorahs under $20, see Dor L'Dor for a nice arch metal menorah for $19.99, aluminum star dancers menorah from Eichler's for $19.99, and Milechai.com who has 6 brass menorahs from $9.99 to $19.99. Definitely check eBay for the best bargains on menorahs and for all cheap Hanukkah gifts for that matter.

2. Dreidels (from $2)

Dreidels make great cheap Hanukkah gifts. Large 2" dreidels at ChayaJudaica.com sell for $2 each while Menorah.com lists 18 dreidels for under $5. Milechai.com has 15 dreidels under $10, including some that are collectible. For a collectible dreidel, take a look at the handmade glass dreidel from FindGift.com for $6.95.

3. Yarmulke

Yarmulkes, or kippahs, make great Hanukkah gifts. For just $3 Zion Judaica offers a nice selection. At Jjudaica you can get yarmulkes from $4.15.

4. A Tree in Israel Named for Your Friend or Family Member ($18 - $25)

Plant a tree in Israel in honor of a friend or family member. I did this for one of my friends and of all the Hanukkah gifts he received that year, this one touched him the most. I recommend three sites:

Jewish National Fund

Trees for the Holy Land

Plant a Tree in Israel

5. Kids' Hanukkah Books (from $1)

Storybooks, activity books, and novelty books for kids are always a great Hanukkah gifts. Specific cheap Hanukkah books for children that I found are: Hanukkah Book for $1.99, Hanukkah for $1.00, and My Favorite Chanukah Activity and Coloring Book for $2.50. Additionally, Biblio.com has 11 different Hanukkah books from $1.00 to $1.99 and Oytoys.com has 7 books under $4. There are a number of books from $1.99 at Alibris.com. A lot of Hanukkah books are sold at a significant discount on Amazon.com. More books for Hanukkah gifts can be found at:

Overstock.com

Gifts.com

The Jewish Museum

6. Jewish Cookbooks (from $1.99)

Everyone welcomes Hanukkah gifts about food and cooking. At Alibris.com I found the Jewish Holiday Cookbook for $4,75, Fast and Festive Meals for the Jewish Holidays for $4.00, and the Gourmet Jewish Cook Book (from $1.99). As Alibris deals in both new and used books, their offers can change daily.

Want to give healthy Hanukkah gifts? Check out the low-fat Jewish Cookbooks offered here. Want to really save on Hanukkah gifts and get them for free? Check out Swaptree.com to find books of all kinds for free. Simply exchange something you already have for whatever it is that you want.

7. Chocolate (from $.75)

Bags of gelt (chocolate coins) are traditional but cheap Hanukkah gifts. Kids use them to play the dreidel game. Chayajudaica.com has them for $.75 a bag, but you can also find gelt at any Judaica store this time of year.

A few more chocolate gifts I recommend are:

- Gold colored wire basket filled with kosher truffles at Chayajudaica.com for $7 (middle of the page).

- Gifts.com lists 6 categories of gifts under $25 including kosher wine and Hanukkah chocolates. You can personalize the Hanukkah chocolates on the lid with any name or family name.

- Joseph Schmidt Collections has a couple of very nice chocolate gift boxes for $24 each.

- Godiva chocolates (one of my personal favorites!) has pages and pages of chocolate Hanukkah gifts under $25.

8. Candles (from $1.97)

Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, so what better gift to give than candles? Candles make cheap Hanukkah gifts that light up homes and bring smiles. From $1.97 to $12.60, check out the Hanukkah candles at Bargain Judaica. Zion Judaica has some beautiful Hanukkah candles from $3.99 to $13.50.

The trick to finding cheap Hanukkah gifts is simply to spend a little time searching. Searching online saves you money (gas is expensive these days) and often stores will offer free shipping or other perks. Whatever you do, shop early!