Why Hanukkah Celebrations Are So Rich With Chocolate Coins

Christmas may have its cookies, but Hanukkah is all about latke toppings and sufganiyot (traditionally jelly donuts but you can switch up the fillings). One well-known sweet item associated with Hanukkah is the foil-wrapped, coin-shaped chocolate known as gelt. What's the deal with this stuff, anyway? Candy money might seem like an odd holiday tradition, although it's certainly no weirder than shepherd's crook-shaped candy canes (especially clam-flavored ones). Once upon a time, though, the coins weren't chocolate, but real currency.

The inspiration behind Hanukkah gelt coins may have come from the Maccabees, who distributed the spoils of war to widows and orphans once they'd reclaimed their temple (which is pretty much the reason for the season). In the 18^th century, traveling rabbis would be paid with coins at Hanukkah, but over time this changed into the practice of giving coins to children. Some Jewish communities would also tip tradespeople on the holiday in a custom similar to that carried out on Boxing Day. In the 20^th century, as the holiday's focus shifted more toward children, the coins morphed into chocolate ones, and they have remained this way ever since. After all, no matter what four out of five dentists may say, chocolate is a much cheaper gift than gold.

We don't know the denomination of the coins used to pay rabbis or reward children in centuries past, although we assume they probably weren't worth a fortune. If the gold coins in a typical bag of Hanukkah gelt were real, though, it would be an entirely different story. In 2014, Money estimated the worth of a bag of similarly-sized gold coins at about $6,995 (this came out to $3,031 for the big coin and $1,321 for each of the little ones). A decade later, that price would have ballooned to $17,260 due to the rising cost of gold.

The actual candy, however, remains a pretty good deal, at least as far as cheap, waxy chocolate goes. That same 2014 article referenced a $1.49 price for a bag of gelt, while in 2024 you can purchase a six-pack on Amazon for $7.99, or $1.33 per bag. Now there's a real metsiya (bargain, for non-Yiddish speakers). If you'd rather buck tradition by purchasing gelt that actually tastes good, some chocolatiers do make artisanal Hanukkah gelt, and it may even be covered in real (though edible) gold.