Eight Great Gifts for Eight Great Nights

The history of Hanukkah

The word Hanukkah, which has 24 accepted spellings, means “dedication”—a holiday that takes place over eight days to honor the resilience and rich history shared by over 15 million Jewish people around the world.

Hanukkah observes a time during the second century B.C. when Judaism was outlawed—the Eternal Light was extinguished and Jerusalem’s holy Second Temple was defiled. The Maccabees, a family of Jewish priests, came together with the Jewish community to rebuild their sacred Temple.

However, they discovered they only had enough sealed and blessed oil to light the Temple’s Eternal Light for one single night. With strength and dedication they pushed on and, astonishingly, the oil lasted eight nights—which miraculously was the exact time it took to press and bless more olive oil in order to keep the lamp burning. This is why we celebrate Hanukkah for eight nights, to commemorate how long the Eternal Light burned.

Hanukkah gifts

Looking for the perfect Hanukkah gift for the Lush lover on your list? Our favorite wintry treats will make your festival of lights extra bright.

Every Hanukkah tradition is unique, and every family has their own way of celebrating. We’ve paired some of our vegan, packaging-free holiday products with a Hanukkah theme for added inspiration while keeping your festivities animal-friendly and low waste.

Pick one for each night or bundle up a few together in a waste-free knot-wrap made from recycled plastic bottles or organic cotton to skip the bag, tissue or wrapping paper. Designer Cheryl Epstein designed our Candlelight Knot-wrap, inspired by the light of home and the warm feeling of watching loved ones open gifts during Hanukkah.

Night one: a special gift

Gift the perfect duo with Celebrate Light Gift, combining The Olive Branch Shower Gel and Avobath Bath Bomb—both infused with skin soothing fair trade olive oil from Sindyanna of Galilee, a women-led cooperative in the Northern region of Israel, where Jewish and Palestinian women work together in peace. All packaged in a gift-wrap designed by Cheryl Epstein with the inspiration of eight shining nights!

Night two: pair with pajamas

You don’t have to wait until sundown to dust yourself all over with Fairy Dust, but it certainly goes great with a new soft set of PJs. This softening powder is loaded with our limited-edition Snow Fairy bubblegum fragrance to help you enjoy sweetly-scented slumbers.

Night three: get cozy

For those looking to stay in from the cold, enjoy a relaxing, hot shower with our limited-edition body cleanser Hot Toddy Shower Gel. This comforting sudser is packed full of fresh ginger root infusion and cleansing lemon juice to create a steamy suds that’ll warm you up from head-to-toe.

Night four: bright vibes

Not Sleepy Shower Bomb is a citrus-and-herbal blend of lemon myrtle, petitgrain and neroli oils that transforms into a cloud with skin-softening potato starch—perfect for a bright, foaming cleanse after a nourishing night of potato latkes.

Night five: celebrate inclusion

Fill your home with the scent of citrus with Orange Blossom Candle, celebrating the inclusion of an orange on seder plates—in recognition of LGBTQ+ and all who are marginalized in the Jewish community

Night six: get creative

Rainbow Fun is a soft, colorful bar you can mold into any shape you want before turning your bath water into fresh, fragrant bubbles. It’ll have you singing “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, I made you out of FUN!”

Night seven: give back

Our bestselling body lotion, Charity Pot, is more than just a name. 100 percent of the purchase price of every single one (minus government sales tax) is given to a grassroots organization that advocates for human rights, animal protection and environmental justice. Also available in solid, package-free Charity Pot Naked Body Lotion coins—perfect for a game of dreidel!

Night eight: their favorite things

And if you really can’t choose, let them pick their own favorite product with a gift card. Our physical gift cards are made from 80 percent post-consumer paper, making them 100 percent biodegradable. Really want to leave no trace? We have e-gift cards available, too.