Hannukah Baskets

Hannukah is one of the happier Jewish festivals. Is one of the few Jewish holidays not mentioned in the Bible, because the events surrounding it occurred in the year 165 B.C.E., after the closing of the Hebrew Bible. (Since Jews do not measure time in terms of Jesus' life and death, we use the term B.C.E., meaning "before the common era," rather than B.C.) In the New Testament, it is mentioned once, in John 10:22, which say that people were gathered around at the festival of dedication. That, of course, was 200 or so years later, in the 1st century after the Common Era (A.D.), after the time of Jesus. Hannukah, Jesus used the celebration of Hannukah (Feast of Dedication) to make a massive statement, "I and My Father are one" (John 10:30). Jesus also uses Daniel's prophecy to talk close to end times and therefore, referring again to Hannukah. Jews for Jesus claim that without Hannukah, there would be no Christmas. Although Hannukah had become an important holiday among North American Jews by the 1920s, it would be incorrect to regard it as an imitation of Christmas with an emphasis on the exchange of presents. Rather, North American Jews use this holiday as a celebration of family, reinforcing Jewish identity in a place whose population may be overwhelmingly Christian but in which Jews feel at home. Hannukah, therefore, is a means for North American Jews to feel a kinship with their neighbors, while simultaneously asserting their Jewish distinctiveness. Hannukah, however, is seen as an important holiday and festival, especially in America, because it is seen as a kind of tradeoff for Jewish kids who do not celebrate Christmas. Imagine being Jewish in a country where all your friends are celebrating Christmas, families are coming together, and kids are getting toys and presents? They look forward to that season, and you're a Jewish kid who doesn't have a holiday.  Hannukah has become more important than ever in the last 100 years. And a good part of that has been to provide Jewish children with a holiday of their own around Christmas.  By the 1920s, however, Jews increasingly added gift-giving to their Hannukah celebrations, prompting Christians to refer to Hannukah as the "Jewish Christmas. In preparation for a Christmas or Hannukah present Hannukah Basket is the option. Creating your own Hannukah Baskets Few peaks that will encourage you to go on your Hanukkah Basket incorporate items traditionally. You can include most of these points that will traditionally symbolize the Hannukah.

• You can include the menorah items in your baskets so that they can use it to light from the first night of the festival.
• A great cultural book showing religious practices and understanding from a child's point of view.