Holy Crazy Calendars! This year, we will experience the strange convergence of the Chanukkah and Thanksgiving holidays.
Normally, at Thanksgiving, my family eats a lot. We watch football. We donate to the soup kitchen. And we each state what we are grateful for. Then we each thank the other people at the table for specific acts of kindness, bravery, intelligence, or chutzpah. (Check in tomorrow for my post on gratitude.)
At Chanukkah, we eat a lot. We have a party called “latkefest,” which includes serving a latke I call the “liz taylor.” It features caviar and creme fraisch. We also usually host a debate about the best Jewish food: latke, hamantaschen, or the pastrami sandwich.
What are you doing?
This convergence isn’t going to happen again for a REALLY long time (Chabad.org says we will have to wait a very looooong time). Not everyone is happy about it!!! But I am.
Thanksgivingkah makes a lot more sense than Christmakas. Or a Chanukkah bush. When I was growing up, some of my friends referred to my house as “the dark house.” It was the only one without Christmas lights. It was always a little weird retelling the story of Judah Maccabee when everyone else was singing around Christmas trees. When I was a religious school director, I would totally have come up with a crazy program to celebrate this event.
So, let’s put our heads together.
Have you come up with a great ritual that includes lights, turkey, and oil?
Have you come up with a new food ritual? Family ritual? Song? Opportunity to lecture the children before they can open their presents?
Have you found or written a great midrash?
Are you going to postpone Chanukkah? You’re sick of it being upstaged by Christmas…this is its year to SHINE!!!
Tell me YOUR Thanksgivingkah ideas on this blog and be entered to win FIVE copies of BELIEVE, perfect for your post-latke, post-turkey post yoga book club. If you are just going to eat a lot, that’s okay. Post a great recipe or latke idea and you’ll be entered to win, too.
The winner will be posted on the last day of Chanukkah!
xos
Here’s my Thankgivukkah offering — happy latkes!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P-wc6t6bX8
This Thanksgivinkah 8th graders at Beth Emet made Menurkeys as they came up with some ideas for what to discuss at the Thanksgiving table this year. My favorite was thinking about the symbolism behind the food we eat during both holidays: turkey, latkes, cranberry sauce, sufganiyot, and more. Why should Passover have all the fun when it comes to symbolic food? How does sweet yet tart cranberry sauce help us be thankful? Or greasy yet delicious latkes make us think about Chanukah in new ways?