Hanukkah gelt

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"Gelt" redirects here. For other uses, see Gelt (disambiguation).
Hanukkah gelt
Chocolate gelt
Alternative namesGelt, Dmei chanukah
TypeChocolate
Main ingredientsChocolate

Hanukkah gelt (

festival of Hanukkah. It is typically given to children and sometimes teachers, often in conjunction with the game of Dreidel. In the 20th century, candy manufacturers started selling Hanukkah-themed chocolate coins
wrapped in gold or silver foil, as a substitute or supplement to real money gifts.

History

Currency

Magen Avraham (18th century), it was the custom for poor yeshiva students to visit homes of Jewish benefactors who dispensed Chanukah money (Orach Chaim 670). The rabbis approved of the custom of giving money on Chanukah because it publicized the story of the miracle of the oil."[1]

According to popular legend, it is linked to the miraculous victory of the

menorah that appeared on Maccabean coins 2,000 years ago.[3]

Chocolate coins

Chocolate coins by Elite

American

silver foil in mesh pouches resembling money bags.[2]
Loft's was followed by another US-based company called Bartons.[4]

Today most of the chocolate Hanukkah gelt, sometimes called geld,

Elite and Carmit.[2] Gourmet versions of chocolate gelt have been produced in the United States and Europe as well.[2]

Customs

Parents often give children chocolate gelt to play dreidel with. In terms of actual gelt (money), parents and grandparents or other relatives may give sums of money as an official Hanukkah gift. According to a survey done in 2006, 74 percent of parents in Israel give their children Chanukah gelt.[5]

In Hasidic communities, the Rebbes distribute coins to those who visit them during Hanukkah. Hasidic Jews consider this to be an auspicious blessing from the Rebbe, and a segulah for success. The amount is usually in small coins.[citation needed]

Timing

Since money cannot be handled on the Sabbath, the timing of giving Chanukah gelt is limited by some to only one day of the week, since the fourth day can never occur on a Friday and the fifth lighting does not ever come on the Shabbat.[6]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 9780870686580
    .
  2. ^
    The Jewish Daily Forward, reprinted in Haaretz, November 12, 2009; Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz, "Chanukkah and Christmas Chocolate Melt into Gelt," in On the Chocolate Trail: A Delicious Adventure Connecting Jews, Religions, History, Travel, Rituals and Recipes to the Magic of Cacao
    , Jewish Lights Publishing, 2013.
  3. ISBN 978-1-60280-032-8
    .
  4. ^ Leventhal, Michael (26 November 2021). "Chocolate guilt, chocolate Gelt". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  5. ^ "74% מבתי האב בישראל נוהגים לתת דמי חנוכה" (in Hebrew). 74% of the households in Israel tend to give Chanukah gelt - Consumer
  6. ISBN 978-1-4226-2217-9
    . neither .. Friday night or Shabbos

External links


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