Christmas is a time for giving presents whether they are big presents or small presents. We adorn Christmas trees with garish decorations and fairy lights and we even hang chocolate shapes from them that we're never allowed to eat. We hang out a stocking so that Santa can fill it with gifts on Christmas Eve and we eat large amounts of food while watching repeated movies on television. Another tradition in most houses is chocolate coins. Whether they are placed under the tree, in a bowl, in the kid's stockings or anywhere around the house they are usually abundant come the big day. Usually they are still abundant several days later when even the children have had their fill of chocolate.
Chocolate and holidays
Chocolate is synonymous with virtually every holiday in existence, and in every religion. Easter, Christmas, Valentines Day and even Halloween are closely associated with chocolate. The world will use any excuse to tuck into a few pieces of candy that have been extracted from the cacao tree. We give chocolates when people are feeling ill and when people are feeling better again. We give them as rewards and ban them as punishment. Chocolate plays a huge part in our daily lives and chocolate money is no exception.
Why chocolate money?
Perhaps the reason that we so regularly use chocolate money stems from more than our love for both cocoa confectionery and gold coins. Indeed, the Aztecs actually used chocolate as their form of money and used it to pay for other items and services.
Hanukkah and chocolate money
Hanukkah is also known as the festival of light and continues for eight days. Traditionally it celebrated the victory of the Maccabees over the Antiochus Epiphanies in Jerusalem. Because of it's proximity to Christmas, Hanukkah has also become synonymous with the giving and receiving of gifts. It has always been Hanukkah tradition to give Gelt, which is Yiddish for money, and chocolate coins are the modern and less expensive version of that. It is more than tradition to give chocolate coins at Hanukkah and is one of the things that the children most look forward to. At this time of year teachers would traditionally receive a money bonus from the parents of wealthy schoolboys to supplement their income and prize money is often awarded to children for performing well with their schoolwork.
Chocolate money around the world
As you can see, chocolate money is a gift for many religions, probably more so in fact for the Jewish at Hanukkah. Regardless of religion or creed, though, chocolate coins will always remain a popular gift for children and many adults alike. It has been found that chocolate is mildly addictive and acts to enhance levels of Dopamine in the brain. This is the chemical that makes us feel happy. This is the same effect that smoking and taking ecstasy has on our bodies. It is also mildly addictive and highly pleasurable.
Chocolate money gifts
Chocolate coins are usually available in silver and gold denominations and you can even have them personalized with a person's name or your own design on them. This can be an excellent way to brighten up someone's day, although they will only really cherish it once the wrapper has gone. Indeed the Internet brings up many sites offering bulk discount chocolate money in case you have a very large family to give to next Hanukkah or Christmas.
