Image courtesy of Kampus Production on Pexels
Introduction – Season’s Greetings
The holidays are a special time for everyone. Winter starts to set in, bringing beautiful snowfall. Christmas trees begin to be set up, lights and ornaments decorating their visage. Those who are a part of the Jewish faith participate in the week-long Hanukkah festivities. Heck, even Santa Claus himself prepares for his once-a-year trek across the globe, delivering gifts to those on his nice list.
It’s funny that we mention gifts, because there’s nothing more important than choosing the right one for their recipients—seniors included! Now, we here at IVY Marketing have compiled a short list of presents that you can gift to your senior family members for the holidays, and we wish to share them with you.
1 – Hanukkah: A Menorah
The first Hanukkah gift that we’ll discuss is one that has major significance for the Jewish people: the menorah.
As detailed by Dani Rhys of Symbol Sage, the menorah is a six-branched, seven lamped candle holder, and is one of Judaism’s most defining symbols. There are two types of menorahs: the Temple Menorah, the original, seven-lamped holder that was housed in the Temple of Jerusalem, and the Chanukkah / Hanukkah Menorah, which is a newer model created to be lit within family homes. Unlike its predecessor, this menorah is eight-branched, and contains nine lamps. The Chanukkah / Hanukkah Menorah is typically used during the titular holiday, with each lamp lit during each night.
If your senior family member is Jewish and/or practices Judaism, a menorah would be a beautiful gift. Menorahs can come in all shapes and sizes, so it is possible to get—or perhaps even craft—one that “fits” your family member to a tee. (This gift can have a powerful emotional significance as well, if your senior has recently begun practicing Judaism or has been receiving menorahs since they were a child, as the website Jewish Senior Life points out.)
2 – Christmas: A Medical Alert System
In an article she wrote for Forbes Health, contributor Angela Haupt included a quote from healthy aging expert Anthony Cirillo; the quote essentially said that when looking for gifts for seniors, it’s best to be practical. So, the first Christmas gift that we’ll discuss is a medical alert system—which Haupt also suggested from her article.
Sadly, seniors are at great risk of medical emergencies, whether they are at home or at a retirement community. Having an alert system on their person—such as the highly recommended Medical Guardian—can be instrumental in helping to prevent said emergencies from becoming worse. (Additionally, Haupt’s article has a contribution from Jonathan Marsh, the owner of a Floridian senior care company called Home Helpers of Bradenton. Marsh believes that these alert systems “gives [seniors] independence” in the sense that they are in the ones in control of calling for their own help, and not having to rely on other parties, such as caregivers.)
3 – Hanukkah: A Kosher Gift Basket
Not every Hanukkah gift has to have a significant religious and/or symbolic significance, but care and attention should be present in each one. Therefore, the second and last Hanukkah gift that we’ll discuss is one where those two concepts are exercised: a kosher gift basket.
Much like with menorahs, gift baskets can be tailor-made to your senior family member, including a plethora of items such as photos, knick-knacks, miniature board games, et cetera! However, with Hanukkah comes the presence of kosher, which—for those unaware—is defined by the OU Kosher Certification Service as food made “as fit and proper as pertains to Jewish dietary law.” So, in the process of adding kosher foods to your senior’s gift basket, please be mindful of the dietary law, so that you don’t accidentally add the incorrect food to it.
4 – Christmas: A Photo Album
Now, while Anthony Cirillo feels that senior gifts should be practical—and they can be—there’s nothing wrong with opting for something more thoughtful. So, the second and last Christmas gift that we’ll discuss is a sentimental one: a photo album.
Photo albums act as “emotional compendiums”: large—or even small—scrapbooks filled with memories that have been collected over the years. Whenever you find an old album that you haven’t seen in a long time, and you find yourself simply skimming through it, don’t you feel the emotions coming back to you? Times with friends and family suddenly flooding your brain? The nostalgia acting as a dopamine boost? Well, imagine being able to provide those same, wondrous feelings to your senior family member!
You can add a whole assortment of photos to the album, ranging from baby pictures to wedding pictures. It would be a pleasant experience for your family member to see all of what they’ve achieved over their lives.
These are just some suggestions that we here at Ivy Marketing have whipped up for you. You can try these, come up with your own—perhaps do both—or even use the gift ideas from the references list down below. Happy gift-hunting!
The details present in this blog article were comprised of information gathered from the sources listed below. I want to give credit where credit is due.
References
Elderly Man Holding a Gift Beside a Woman · Free Stock Photo (pexels.com)
Menorah: The Deep Meanings of the 7-Branched Lamp (symbolsage.com)
Hanukkah Gift Ideas – Jewish Senior Life of MI (jslmi.org)
15 Best Gifts For Seniors For Healthy Living – Forbes Health
4 Best Medical Alert Systems of 32 Tested (2023) (ncoa.org)
Medical Alert Systems & Devices For Seniors | Medical Guardian
Bradenton Senior Care | Caregiver Services (homehelpershomecare.com)
What is Kosher Food? What Does Kosher Mean? OU Kosher Rules & Definition
8 Things to Know about Celebrating Hanukkah with a Senior – Caring Professionals Home Care & CDPAP