While in recent years, Hanukkah gift-giving has often been linked to the commercial aspects of its Abrahamic relative, Christmas, the Festival of Lights brings so much more to the table. With the two holidays overlapping this year, it’s important to consider the unique value of Hanukkah and why it is not merely a “Jewish Christmas.”
What started out with small gifts of gelt (chocolate coins) for children celebrating the Jewish holiday transformed into a larger-scale consumerist paradise. As the tradition stands today, each night the menorah is lit, families are expected to provide their kids with lofty presents and drape their households in tasteful blue and white lights. However, according to Professor Jonathan Sarna, “American Jews used to exchange gifts only on Purim, but in the late 19th century there was a shift from Purim to Hanukkah . . . in imitation of Christmas.”
This context is especially illuminating because the Jewish holiday only experienced this push because of the popularity of Christmas as a secular North American holiday. Hanukkah needed to remain relevant and worth continued celebration in this new consumer climate. This being said, an emphasis on family and music can certainly help combat this historical market pull.
Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, I made some of my favourite Hanukkah memories during time spent with family and friends, enjoying the holiday spirit in one of the most diverse cities in the world, where everyone has a plethora of different traditions and winter holidays to celebrate. Beside lighting the candles with my parents each night and our attempts to remember the tune to the Hanukkah blessings in the process, most of my memorable experiences of the holiday centre around music. My elementary school, P.S. 130, put on an interesting showcase each year, in a kind of multi-faith sing-a-long. While we all sang classic Christmas songs, my music teacher sprinkled in some rare Hanukkah bops, and an extensive Ramadan chant, although not seasonally-appropriate. Each song taught us about the rich aspects of these religious occasions, with lyrics centred around prayer, gratitude, and candle-lighting. Perhaps there was too much to learn, as I’m sure some family members in the audience would have preferred if we made some cuts in the repertoire for time’s sake.
My most notable Hanukkah memory is of the indie band Yo La Tengo’s annual Hanukkah concert at the Bowery Ballroom. Putting on a great show all eight nights, lead singer and guitarist Ira Kaplan, vocalist Georgia Hubley, and bassist James McNew invite local artists and comedians to open for the band, with a different surprise guest every night. During a time when many New Yorkers are visiting family out of town or are busy with Christmas planning and preparation, Yo La Tengo draws a loyal crowd of everyone else. Whether bonded by their love of music, New York, or the electric chanukiah, these concerts bring the diverse audience together. Community is formed and showcased at the Bowery Ballroom through New York talent and Jewish humour, lulling the multi-generational crowd into their “little corner of the world” alongside the bright lights of Hanukkah (albeit displayed by carefully maneuvered stage lights).
Both of these performances from my youth display the secular tradition of a religious holiday but don’t centre around gifts or the commercial world’s attempt to match Christmas’s allure. By creating an occasion for people to come together over the holidays, music allows Jews and non-Jews to observe and appreciate Hanukkah in a welcoming and unique way. As we enter into a new Hanukkah and holiday season, I invite you too to experience the rich musical contributions of your community, and of course, check out Yo La’s 2024 Hanukkah Run if your holiday plans take you to New York!
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