Every holiday season, as reliably as the first snowflake or the first burnt latke, I’m asked the same question: “Ellen, what should I get (fill in the name) for Hanukkah?” And every year, I channel my inner Maccabee and charge into the battlefield of gift ideas so you don’t have to. Consider this guide my annual miracle — eight nights, zero guesswork.
Scratch. Discover. Go.
As someone who loves to travel, I’m always on the lookout for gifts that spark adventure—and the RIO (Reach International Outfitters) Missouri Adventure Bucket List deck seems to oblige pretty perfectly. Fifty scratch-off cards—yes, like a lottery, that’s part of the fun—reveal familiar and surprise destinations across the Show-Me State. Each card lists the location, shows icons to guide you on the best season to visit, time of day, cost, and duration, and even includes a QR code so that you’ll have the most up-to-date travel information. It’s a playful way to explore local gems and classic favorites alike, and honestly, who doesn’t love a scratch-off?
And if your wanderlust stretches beyond Missouri, RIO has decks for 40-plus states and dozens of U.S. cities. One card might send you hiking, another rafting, another onto a hidden bike path—turning any trip into a mini adventure game.
This year, I’m recommending the Adventure Bucket List deck as a Hanukkah gift for the traveler in your life—or for yourself. It’s a little box of surprise outings, fun and discovery that makes giving (and scratching) feel like a celebration. Available at reachinternationaloutfitters.com and Amazon for $64.99, currently on sale on the RIO site for $55.24.
Give green, do good
Looking for a Hanukkah gift that’s local, thoughtful and good for the environment? Greenway Goods has you covered. This St. Louis collaborative program run by Great Rivers Greenways teams up with local artists to create outdoorsy gifts celebrating the city’s green spaces—over 140 miles of trails connecting neighborhoods, parks and people. Every purchase supports these green spaces, a small act of tikkun olam, repairing the world right in your backyard.
Among the gifts to choose from are the Live Life Outside Tote ($20), an eco-friendly and sturdy bag featuring local art; the Leather Greenway Coaster Set ($36), four handcrafted coasters that come together to form a map of local rivers and trails; and the Seasonal Candle Box Set ($82), locally poured candles that capture the scents of a stroll through Forest Park. Each item is a little celebration of nature, community and the joy of exploring in your own backyard.
This Hanukkah, think about giving gifts that celebrate community, nature and stewardship—while sneaking a little joy for yourself, too. Visit greenwaygoods.com.
Holy Hanukkah, candy!
Leave it to the folks at Sugarfina confections to come up with the Jewish advent calendar we didn’t know we needed. The “8 Nights of Delight Candy Tasting Collection” turns Hanukkah into a nightly surprise: a candle lights up, a drawer slides open and four pieces of kosher-certified candy appear. Eight nights, eight little sugar-fueled celebrations of joy, peace and maybe just a touch of melted chocolate fingers. It’s available at sugarfina.com for $32.
Not all strawberries are red
At Blue Strawberry (364 N. Boyle Ave.) in midtown, the fruit of choice is music — and the menu is deliciously varied. What started as a cozy 90-seat cabaret has blossomed into a venue where rock, jazz, R&B, soul and Americana all feel right at home, without losing the intimacy or pristine acoustics that made the place special to begin with.
Owner Jim Dolan has a knack for booking performers who don’t just sing but spin great stories, turning each show into a full evening’s experience — helped along by the fact that Blue Strawberry also serves a proper dinner. So if you need a gift for someone who loves live music in a setting where they can actually sit, listen and enjoy a meal, get them tickets to an upcoming show at Blue Strawberry – (might we suggest As the Crow Flies plays Jerry Grass: A Tribute to Jerry Garcia on Jan. 17). It’s a pretty sweet pick. At bluestrawberrystl.com.
Nosh your way around town
If you’ve ever landed in a new city and immediately booked a food tour just to maximize your “stuff-my-face efficiently” time, you’re my kind of traveler. But here’s a little secret: you don’t have to cross an ocean—or even the river—to enjoy that same delicious thrill. St. Louis has its own culinary tours that hit all the right notes, making them a perfect Hanukkah gift for the foodie in your life who already owns every cookbook, spice blend and artisanal olive oil known to humankind.
Start with EAT Saint Louis Food Tours (saintlouisfoodtours.com), the local favorite that turns neighborhoods like The Hill into a roaming buffet of thin-crust pizza, toasted ravioli, gelato and delicious food lore. At $79 for about three delicious hours, you nibble, sip, wander and learn a little history between bites. Or go the customizable route with Savor Saint Louis Food Tours (savorsaintlouis.com), which curates private group adventures through restaurant-packed areas like the Central West End, Delmar Loop and Downtown.
Stack, snap, light, repeat
My granddaughters, ages 7 and 9, have fully embraced their inner master builders—Legos are basically their love language. When I asked what they wanted this holiday season, the answer was obvious: more Legos. I briefly imagined gifting them a Lego menorah… only to realize such a thing doesn’t officially exist, at least not one that I could find. (Apparently, the Lego elves haven’t gotten the memo.)
Not to be defeated, I scoured YouTube and found a handful of clever tutorials showing how to cobble a menorah together from one’s existing Lego stash—perfect if you enjoy a little DIY chaos with your chocolate gelt. But for a simpler, stress-free option, there’s the Build-A-Brick Menorah from The Jewish Museum Shop ($25). With 252 Lego-style plastic brick pieces, kids—and adults—can build a menorah and “light” a candle each night. Recommended for ages 6-plus, it’s a hands-on, fun and safe way to mix construction with celebration — and zero risk of tripping over a rogue brick.
Cookie couture
This one might stir up a little controversy, but as a native New Yorker, my devotion to the black-and-white cookie runs deep. When I was a kid visiting my paternal grandparents in Greenwich Village, there was always a box of Greenberg Bakery’s signature black-and-whites waiting for me like a sweet welcome committee. And these weren’t your run-of-the-mill treats. Greenberg’s had earned its reputation as the gold standard, having introduced the iconic cookie back in 1946. They were spongy, cake-like rounds—half cloaked in glossy chocolate icing, half in sweet vanilla fondant—with a dividing line so straight you could split it cleanly down the middle . . . if you were the type of person who could choose a side.
So you can imagine my delight when while working on this guide I spotted the black-and-white cookie charm from Catbird Jewelry. Crafted from recycled solid 14k yellow gold and finished with black and white enamel, this little gem ($106 at catbirdnyc.com) can grace a necklace or bracelet. It’s currently on back order, but don’t worry: polymer clay versions are easy to find on Etsy.com for about $22, and there are plenty of black-and-white cookie earrings and pins too, priced between $17 and $25. Sweet, stylish, and calorie-free.
Silent nights, soundwave days
I have no idea how this works—I’m just the messenger—but I’m hooked on customized soundwave gifts. Basically, they turn a sound—a voice message, a favorite song, a laugh, even a baby’s first cry—into a visual waveform you can print, engrave, or display. Peaks and valleys become art: framed prints, jewelry, keychains, or even 3D-printed sculptures. Etsy.com has dozens of possibilities, at various prices, starting at $15.
I’m thinking this could be the perfect gift for my husband: my voice in a soundwave. Fingers crossed he doesn’t get any ideas about immortalizing my so-called snoring, which, as we all know, is purely a bedtime fairy tale.
