Most of us are familiar with Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, but what happens when these two traditions fall on the same day? You got it: Thanksgivukkah.
Boston marketing specialist Dana Gitell coined the term when she realized the holidays overlap. The Jewish Boston organization jumped on the idea and has been the ringleader in the Internet frenzy of hybrid-holiday madness, starting with Thanksgivukkah Boston.
“Personally it’s got me a little more excited about Thanksgiving because of the fact that it’s about family,” said Sandy Diel, director of the Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation. “It’s about gratitude. It’s about giving back.”
From sweet potato latkas to menurkeys, Thanksgivukkah combines traditional aspects of each holiday.
Diel suggests a few ways to combine the two:
- Combining traditional Thanksgiving and Hanukkah recipes
- Painting cornucopia baskets blue and silver (traditional Hanukkah colors)
- Filling cornucopias with both fall items and symbols associated with Hanukkah (like the dreidel)
- Games with elements of both holidays (word searches with terms from both holidays, etc.)
Diel said she recognizes that the holidays complement each other, and add emphasis to the meaning of each.
“It’s a time to not just celebrate toys and gifts, but maybe have a holiday that’s a little more introspective, too, and it can be fun,” Diel said.
Be sure to enjoy this special celebration because it won't be happening again anytime soon. The holidays haven't overlapped in more than a century, and after this year it won't happen again for approximately 79,000 years.
