7 Reasons Why the Nod Goes to Saint Nick
Oy vey! Perhaps I’ve figured out why I always wanted to celebrate Christmas over Hanukkah – it’s better branded! It boasts every key element of a red hot brand:
- Consistency – It’s ALWAYS on December 25; no need to Google when Hanukkah starts every year; this consistency builds “flawless recall.”
- Brand Vocabulary – It’s time to be “merry” or “jolly,” but “yule” never get anything like that with Hanukkah .
- Strong Mascot– Santa Claus joins the legends of Ronald McDonald, Jolly Green Giant, and the Energizer Bunny. Mascots embrace an entire personality of a brand; the dreidel is a lifeless icon.
- Great Tunes– Big thanks to Adam Sandler for updating The Hanukkah Song, but Christmas gets the nod with so many wonderful tunes: Joy To The World, Jingle Bells, Little Drummer Boy, 12 Days of Christmas….
- Signature Scent – Ahhh, the smell of Christmas that triggers an emotional response: pine trees and fresh snow; what does Hanukkah smell like?
- Pop Culture – Christmas pervades pop culture: A Very Murray Christmas, Michael Buble’s perennial celebration, Krampus, Miracle on 34th Street, Charlie Brown’s Christmas, A Christmas Carol, Scrooged, and even Elf. I just have one question: isn’t it time Spielberg or Weinstein: produced a successful Hanukkah film?
- Great Imagery -Trees, lights, reindeers, snowmen, coal, stockings, candy canes, and sleighs all make an appearance at Christmas time. Us Jews settle for our menorah; darn!
BUT, perhaps Hanukkah wins when it comes to food (have you tried my latkes?) and tradition.
Wishing you a healthy, happy holiday season,
Liz
PS: What did I miss? Share below.
A plug for Hanaukah is that we share gifts on all 8 nights and not just the one day for Christmas. It’s even more special when you are a part of a mixed family and are privileged to celebrate both holidays!
I’m with you, Kelly as this is my first year with a tree! My family is the epitome of “blended.”
Love your blog post! It would be great to get better branding around Hanukkah! Happy Hanukkah!!!
You missed an inconsistency: Hanukkah, Hanukah, Chanukkah, Chanukah, Chanuka…
But another plug for Hanukkah: we splurge on celebratory donuts known as sufganiyot, or is that sufganiot…
Still, if we spend our Hanukkah in Israel (as I did last year) it’s always spelled correctly in Hebrew. And, oh, those gourmet sufganiyot at Roladin Bakery in Tel Aviv…
Liz,
Christmas is definitely the sexier brand — but Chanukah is stress-free. No need to break the bank buying gifts, decorate the house or lie to our children about the fat guy in the red suit.
I do agree that there are no good Chanukah songs — the Jews apparently were too busy writing classic Christmas music! But what does Chanukah smell like? Latkes, of course!
Oh, Eloise how could I have forgotten about the different misspellings of Hanuakah, Chanukah, etc? Even funnier!
It must be latke time!