Break out the Dreidel, Latkes (a personal favourite) and Brisket - it’s time to celebrate Hanukkah! A fabulous and fun-filled week-long celebration for Jewish families across the world, Hanukkah falls between the 10-18 December in 2020. And we’re guessing that many of you will be wondering what to give the special people in your life as the week draws ever closer.
Well, to make things a little easier, we have experience gift ideas that are sure to make Hanukkah the best yet for your friends and family. Experience gifts come with huge benefits.
Why give an experience gift for Hanukkah?
With many of us having to put travel plans on hold, there’s every chance you’ll find an experience gift voucher close to home that will light up the life of your loved one. Perhaps you live far away from those closest to you and an experience gift or voucher from Gifting Owl can be timed to arrive right on cue as you talk on zoom, making that time together all the more fun.
Also, Gifting Owl gifts and vouchers come with some surprising terms and conditions that weigh in your favour. All gift vouchers on our site are fully transferable and redeemable for three years. Let’s explain that in more detail. If you choose an experience gift and it’s not right for any reason at all, your gift recipient can use that voucher on any other experience listed in our catalogue to the same value of your gift. If they find something with a higher price tag, they can simply top up the gift voucher amount to cover the cost. So, your gift recipient is never locked into doing something they don’t really want to do, and you have every confidence that your experience gift voucher will always be a perfect choice. It’s a win-win all round!
Experience gift cards are the gifts that keep giving. Material gifts can often sit in a box or become discarded when they are no longer in vogue. But experiences are re-lived over a lifetime as you retell your stories of things you have crossed off your bucket list; how you finally got the nerve to do that skydive, or swim with sharks or the afternoon spent with strangers that soon became friends over a home-cooked meal.
With three years to redeem your gift in any of our 900+ destinations, your loved one has the world at their feet and plenty of time to decide what, when, where and how they are going to make that experience happen.
There is no substitute for experiences. They are wondrous, challenging, fun-filled, and fulfilling. And above all, unforgettable. Experience gifts enrich our lives with precious memories and feelings and add to who we are as a person. That said, we’re going to give you a glimpse of what’s on offer in our wonderful world of experiences and let you decide.
Gift ideas for the Festival of Lights
Hanukkah is the winter’s Festival of Light. Families delight in the nightly ritual of lighting of the menorah one candle at a time for each of the eight days. Some like to take it in turns to do the lighting while others are happy to sit back and reflect on the moment. With the Festival of Lights theme in mind, we can suggest gift ideas that will light up the faces of your loved ones.
Mother nature puts on a stunning display when her Northern Lights dance across the night sky. Nothing short of mesmerising, Iceland is one of the world’s top destinations for Northern Lights experiences. With a wide range of tour options and prices, you have plenty of choice and tours often include other adventure aspects. The best time to see the Northern Lights is between September and March. However, Iceland’s winter months are particularly good for viewing due to the long days of darkness. If North America is an easier reach, Canada’s Fort Smith Region is also another world hot spot for some very cool winter entertainment viewing the Northern Lights.
Near the equator on the very edge of the northern hemisphere lies the tropical islands of the Philippines. Here, Panglao Island is the departure point for a tour with a difference. Travelling down the Loay and Aratan rivers, guests are treated to the unique natural phenomena of swarms of fireflies lighting up the night sky as they hover among the trees along the river bank. During migration season, it’s even possible to spot sleeping birds among the branches.
Jumping hemispheres, you can head to the southern reaches of the world for some sensational celestial experiences. Australia and New Zealand famously bear the Southern Cross on their national flags and it’s in these two countries, you’ll find the heavens alight with a blanket of shimmering stars. The Dunedin Southern Skies Stargazing Tour is a fascinating introduction to the stars of the southern sky and insight into Māori culture, folklore and songs. Set on the magnificent Otago peninsula coastline the landscape offers perfect vantage points for viewing the Southern Lights known as the Aurora Australis. Known to locals as ‘across the ditch’, Australia’s wide open skies, red deserts and outback ranges are also renowned for their stargazing experiences. The Perth Pinnacles Desert Sunset & Stargazing Tour offers guests the chance to spot kangaroos and koalas in the wild, and enjoy traditional Aussie tucker at a seaside pub before venturing into the Pinnacles Desert for a night of stargazing and adventure.
But Mother nature doesn't have to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to fantastic light shows. Sydney’s Vivid Light Festival is not to be missed. The city’s most iconic landmarks such as Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay, and heritage buildings that hark back to the earliest days of European settlement come alive in an extravaganza of vivid light and sound displays unmatched anywhere in the world. The Walk the Light tour takes guests on an artistic and cultural odyssey of the grandest proportions and is a definite must-do attraction. The San Diego City Lights Tour introduces guests to the city’s Gaslamp Quarter with its vibrant nightlife, famous waterfront and Victorian architecture. You’ll visit Balboa Park - the USA’s largest urban cultural park with its grounds beautifully illuminated at night to feature the stunning architecture, fountains, and statues. New York and Las Vegas also offer sensational night tours of their famous landmarks and shopping strips that showcase the night sites by foot, coach or helicopter.
Delicious Hanukkah Gifts
Chocolate is another fine Hanukkah tradition. We can all reminisce about those shiny foil gold coins filled with smooth milk chocolate. As kids, we would heat them in our hands until they were soft and gooey and then lick the foil clean until the only traces left were tell-tale signs on our chocolate-coated chins. A delicious memory.
Chocolate is, undoubtedly, a world-wide obsession. Cows and cocoa beans - where would we be without them! There isn’t a country on the planet where you won’t find chocolate and we have some super sweet tours in store that will introduce chocolate lovers to some of the world’s top chocolatiers. Let’s start with the Swiss. The Gruyeres Tour With Chocolate Tasting will treat your Geneva-bound loved one to the finest traditions in Swiss chocolate making. The medieval village of Gruyeres and its majestic hill-top castle are set amid rolling pastures filled with fat and happy cows that supply the local chocolate factory with limitless pales of creamy milk. Wander through the castle and chocolate factory as you learn the fascinating history of the region and the art of making magnificent chocolates.
Perhaps Italy is on the itinerary. If so, the Venice Chocolate Tasting Tour is a must. Enough to tantalize any chocolate devotee this tour tastings includes 10 morsels of deliciousness to savour. With dragees, chocolate covers, pralines and truffles on the list along with chocolate beans and chocolate drinks this tour is well and truly enough to sweeten any day of the week.
Melbourne, Australia’s second largest capital city, is the heartland of great food. A multicultural metropolis, the city is abundant with restaurants and eateries that consistently serve up amazing traditional and infused cuisines. It’s laneways and arcades are famous for their specialty foods and fashion and it’s here you’ll find the Melbourne Chocolate Lanes and Arcade Tour. Your hosts are masters at showing guests the hidden places and hot spots throughout the city where the best chocolates are made. The arcades and laneways ooze with character from old world charm and edgy contemporary styling. The entire experience absorbs you into a world where art and culture combine to create something that is simply spellbinding.
As you wander through the Gifting Owl catalogue of incredible gift vouchers, you’re bound to discover so many other experiences that promise to delight and surprise those closest to you at this time, whether they are at your side or far from home. One home truth, however, is that the love you share at this time and the whole year through is especially precious. So from us at Gifting Owl to you and your family, Hanukkah Sameach! Happy holiday! Go with peace and love.
