Hanukkah Hostess gift?

[Scsigrl]

Hi all,

We have been invited to a Hanukkah get together this weekend. I was wondering what would be an nice hostess gift for the people giving the party?

Wine? I was thinking, but I am not totally sure about the Kosher thing... I am not even sure they keep Kosher...

HELP:)

Thanks,

[Fairy]

Ya know, I just noticed at one of my local Starbucks that they have a Hanukkah themed coffee gift set! It's called "Holiday Blend" instead of Xmas blend, and it comes with a very nice mug that says Happy Hannukah on it. The color scheme is ice blue for everything, and it's a very nice gift. If only I had someone to give it to! Might wanna check it out, call your local Starbucks, and see if they carry it, cuz my bet is not all of them will.

Also, I recommend Godiva chocolate (i do love that stuff), or go to the food store or a Jewish deli and buy some Hanukkah Gelt (ethnic foods aisle) for all the kids (those are the "chocolate coins." You can also go to a Jewish bakery (there are even kosher ones) and bring a pastry for dessert.

[jamsmu]

There are a lot of Kosher wines that you can get at most wine stores. Just don't get Manishevitz!

Yesterday, I bought a beautiful drip tray/serving platter at Bed Bath and Beyond. Its $19.99, but with the coupon it was around $15. The picture on their site is awful. But its very unique and simple.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14192719&RN=288

[ShanaMama]

Fairy's ideas are all good. I'd recommend against wine because it gets very tricky to get kosher wine. I've often seen cute ceramic serving pieces, like a cookie jar, platter, etc. painted Hanuka style. I'd probably try getting something like that & give it with pastries/ candies on it. I've seen them in dollar stores & the like. (I may even have one that I want to get rid of, if you want to come take it off my hands!)

[Scsigrl]

Thanks all! I will look into thse things!

I apprteciate the offer of the ceramic dish, but I need it for Friday night :) Not too sure it would get here on time!

Thanks Again!

[JFC]

What about some pretty, nicer Hanukkah candles?

[ShanaMama]

Great idea! Why didn't I think of that?
Traditional Hanukah items are dreidels (4 sided spinning tops with a hebrew letter on each side) & menorahs. Do you know if they light one at all, & if so is it electrical or candle/ oil?
If you want something like this try a Judaica store.

[JustMe]

I was going to post about the Bed Bath and Beyond Chanukah tray as well, which I think is really cute. Bed Bath and Beyond has some other cute things, as well, and it would also be nice to just to some kind of regular gift (not specifcally Chanukah), but something you would give to any hostess.

Robyn
single mommy to my almost 4 yr old from Guatemala

[youngmommy]

Coming from a Jewish lady: honestly, I wouldn't want anything Channukah themed as a gift, unless it was edible. Chanukkah is only 8 days long, and I wouldn't want to store a Chanukah serving platter all year, nor would I want to use it for the rest of the year.

However, a Channukah coffe blend from Starbucks is a good idea, and most Starbucks coffee stuff is kosher. (Their pastries are not generally Kosher.) Getting some chocolate coins is a cute idea. Going that route, I would put them inside of a pretty serving bowl or something. I would suggest something crystal withn your budget from TJ Maxx or Marshalls.

I'm sure they'll already have candles, so those probably aren't a good idea. Chanukah candles or pre-filled oil cups come is the exact numbers you need to light the candles for each night. People who prepare their own wicks in oil will have all of their supplies starting from before the first night too.

Kosher wine can be hard to find, but is a great idea if it's available in your area. Bartenura makes one called Malvasia which is a light and bubbly red which we love. They also make a Moscato which is a sweet and bubbly white, also really good.

If you can get Kosher baked goods in your area, that's a pretty good idea. Sufganiot (doughnuts) are actually traditional as Channukah food (gotta love that!) You could PM me your location and I'll help you find out if there's a local Kosher bakery if you like. Make sure you bring them in their original packaging, sealed, so the hosts are assured of the Kosher integrity.

Ummmmm.... I'm out of ideas for the moment. HTH!