Christmas and Hanukkah are on the same day in 2024, so there’s extra reason to celebrate. If you’re an interfaith family, have both Jewish and Christian friends at your party, or just feel like exploring some new culinary traditions, consider Chrismukkah as a theme.
Calling Hanukkah “Jewish Christmas” is something of a misnomer—yes, it falls around the same time of year, and greeting card companies have decided it lines up with Christmas. In terms of calendar significance and stressful levels of meal prep with specific and mandatory dishes, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are closer to Christmas. Hanukkah was considered a minor holiday until the mid-19th century when rabbis began holding special holiday services for children to celebrate Hanukkah. Also, we have modern consumerism to thank for the idea of eight nights of gifts. This was never a Hanukkah tradition until the commercialization of Christmas in the early 20th century.
This year, you can celebrate unity and understanding with a combination holiday party or meal. Double the holidays, double the fun! As someone in a mixed-faith family, here are some ways to celebrate “Chrismukkah” to encourage people to learn more about each other’s traditions.
This Year’s Hottest Holiday? Chrismukkah. Try Out These Traditions.
Make Latkes
Latkes have the potential to be a bridge between cultures, because everyone can agree on this savory, easy to make winter dish. Frankly, latkes totally win out over the candied yams and roasted potatoes you might find on a Christmas menu. Give a try to TABLE’s recipes for Gluten-Free Potato Latkes, Carrot and Beet Latkes, or Chef Joey Hilty’s Potato Rösti. To be honest, the best way forward for most Jewish recipes is to ask a friend what their go-to is. Better yet: ask their mother! Word of mouth is the name of the game to get that perfect latke recipe passed down from somebody’s bubbe from Poland.
Get Lit with Candles and Lights
Christmas lights and Hanukkah candles both offer an opportunity to decorate the home. The candle stand for Hanukkah has a special name, the Hanukkiah. A menorah is any eight-candle structure in Judaism, but the Hanukkiah is the specific one for the holiday. The winter can be a gloomy time, and both Jewish and Christian traditions recognize the need to have a little sparkle in your home décor on those dark nights.
Indulge in Fried Desserts
Hanukkah commemorates oil lasting eight nights, so we like to indulge in foods as full of oil as that lamp. That includes classic sufganiyot or Isfeng Andalusion Donuts. You could get creative with toppings or frosting to put your own spin on these desserts for your holiday gathering. Maybe add a bit of Hanukkah flair to a bouche de noel with a drizzle of honey, or add some cardamom to your mom’s sugar cookie recipe!
Have Fun with Cocktails and Drinks
Sometimes Manischewitz is unavoidable at a Jewish holiday table. But one of my missions in life is to inform people that they do not have to drink disgusting syrup in order to have kosher wine. The Levant is a wine-producing region, so you could try some wineries from the Holy Land like Recanati, whose Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Syrah varietals are wonderful to serve at a meal. Barkan in the Galilee also has a nice Cabernet—you can splurge on their Alexander the Great 2017 vintage. Or, for a cocktail, try TABLE’S purple-hued Hanukkah 75, perfect for a toast no matter what holiday you’re celebrating.
Story by Emma Riva
Subscribe to TABLE Magazine’s print edition.
