Most people have two main times they receive presents, their birthday and their winter holiday. For most, that is Christmas, but for us Jews it’s Chanukkah. The thing is Chanukkah should have nothing to do with gift-giving. The reason most American Jews and now Jews across the world give presents starting on the 25th of Kislev rather than more traditional times, like Purim, is because of its proximity to the 25th of December.
The Chanukkah story chronicles a time of religious persecution under the rule of the Seleucid (Greek) Empire. In 168 BCE, King Antiochus IV desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem by sacrificing a pig on the altar of Zeus. The Jewish people were forced to abandon their religious practices and assimilate into Greek culture, facing the threat of death if they disobeyed. However, a group of Jewish rebels, known as the Maccabees, rose and fought tirelessly against the Seleucid rule, eventually reclaiming and rededicating the Temple. “Chanukkah” means “dedication,” referring to this event. The story of the miraculous oil that burned for eight nights is a later rabbinic tradition, Chanukkah’s significance remains a celebratory reminder of the Jewish people’s resistance against religious oppression and their dedication to preserving their faith.
The story of Purim tells of Hadassa (Esther), a young Jewish woman chosen to be the queen of the Persian King Ahasuerus. Esther’s cousin Mordecai, who had raised her, convinced her to keep her Jewish identity a secret when she became queen. Meanwhile, the King’s advisor Haman plotted to exterminate all the Jews in the Persian empire. Mordecai convinces Esther to reveal her identity and stand up for her people. After much hesitation, Esther holds a banquet with the King and his advisor Haman, revealing Haman’s true intentions to kill all the Jews of Persia. Ahasuerus becomes enraged at Haman’s plot and has him hanged for his treachery. Esther’s courage and quick thinking saved the Jewish community from Haman’s wicked scheme, leading to the establishment of the annual Purim holiday on the 14th of Adar to commemorate their deliverance. Since the Hebrew calendar is lunar-based, Purim typically falls in February or early March; however, last year (5784) was a leap year adding an extra month (Adar Bet), so in 2025, Purim shifted to March 13th-14th in the Gregorian calendar.
Purim is celebrated by wearing costumes, performing, giving out sweet treats, parades, parties, drinking (if old enough), and celebrating life. Many Beiti Knesset (Temples) have Purim carnivals, with games, food, and spiels (performances). We celebrate Haman’s defeat by booing or making noise anytime someone says his name, and eating Hamantaschen (jelly-filled triangle cookies) which are said to be shaped like his hat or ears.
The significance of things in Judaism is not entirely based on where it is in the Tanach, the five books of Moses, or the Torah are mostly comprised of the Jews wandering the desert —pretty boring right—- That being said, an event that was so controversial in the early rabbinic era, and lacking divine intervention, like Chanukkah is in no way more important than one that was able to remain without said intervention like Purim. The Maccabees were not allowed to stay the hero in their story, the word “Chanukkah” means dedication yet everyone talks about the made-up oil story where God is the hero, and The Book of Maccabees is not found in the Tanach. The story of Purim is in The Book of Esther in the Ketuvim (the Writings) where she is the hero.
Throughout history, feasts like Purim were the main time for Jewish gift-giving, due to commandments in the Tanach, “They are to observe these as days of feasting and gladness, and for sending delicacies to one another, and giving gifts to the poor.” (Esther 9:22). During the Americanization of Judaism, it slowly became a bigger tradition during Chanukkah so the Jews got presents at the same time as the Christians. As a Jew who was often singled out for such reasons I get it, but truly the better, more appropriate time, is the story that if untruthful is lesser known. Purim remained a story of people helping others in the community because they cared, rather than being changed to God this God that. In Judaism, we call Orthodox Jews observant rather than devout because belief in God does make one more or less Jewish; so why do the holidays need to be about God? If being honest is a mitzvah (good deed or commandment) then why is our “biggest” holiday full of lies? Frankly, Chanukkah isn’t even that fun; Every night I struggle not to burn myself, open presents, eat good food, and maybe play Sevivon (Dreidel), but chocolate is pretty low stakes. Purim has giving through Tzedakah (monetary donation) like Mishloach Manot (prepared food gifts), but Tzedakah is given on other holidays and whenever you want. Purim is not only a true festival, with passion and love which could only be exemplified by bringing presents back into the mix, but it also aligns with Jewish values more than Chanukkah.