How to Combine Christmas and Hanukkah

I'm Jewish and my husband is Methodist. When we celebrated our first Christmas at his family's house, his brother wished us a "Happy Hannumas." That has been our tradition ever since. If mixed couples are creative and understanding of each other's holiday traditions, they can easily combine the traditions of Christmas and Hanukkah. Here are some ways to combine both holidays.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Christmas tree and ornaments
• Menorah
• Holiday lights
• Garland
• Stockings
• Other personal decorations
• Holiday wrapping paper

Make Traditional Hanukkah and Christmas Meals

1. Make or buy cookie dough. Use Hanukkah and Christmas cookie cutters to cut dough. Decorate cookies in red, green, blue and white.

2. Serve latkes with sour cream or applesauce during Hanukkah.

3. Eat ham or turkey for Christmas.

4. Eat brisket for Hanukkah.

Decorate for Both Christmas and Hankukah

5. Decorate your Christmas tree with ornaments that have meaning to both of you. My husband and I decorate our tree with Star Wars, Star Trek and Disney ornaments. Be sure to include your "Our First Christmas" ornament and children's "Baby's First Christmas" ornaments.

6. Place your menorah in a special place of your home where it will appear as a centerpiece. It should stand out as much as your Christmas Tree does. You can even display more than one if you have decorative menorahs and the menorah that you light, like I do.

7. String holiday lights and garland around your house using a mix of Christmas and Hannukah colors. These would include red, green, blue, silver and gold.

8. Hang a stocking for each member of your family and stuff them with both Christmas and Hanukkah goodies, such as candy canes and gelt (chocolate coins).

9. Add other personal decorations, such as wreaths, dreidels, Nativity scenes, Santas, holiday plates for both Christmas and Hanukkah, etc. Be sure to balance the amount of Christmas and Hanukkah decorations that you use so that one does not outshine the other.

10. Wrap presents in both Christmas and Hanukkah paper and place under the tree.

[andipandi10]

on 1/5/2008 Seeker 18 and Maccabee,

You both obviously didn't bother to read my entire article or you would know that it was about how to celebrate both holidays in a house where both Methodist and Jewish religions are practiced. My husband and I celebrate Hanukkah every year with my family and Christmas every year with his. At both celebrations, the proper dinner is served. And our son is my stepson...he was born and still is Methodist. He enjoys learning about the Jewish tradition from my family.

In the future, please be sure to read an article in its entirety before you make such rude remarks about it.

[seeker18]

on 1/9/2008 She is clearly not jewish anymore, nor will her kids be. They are celebrating Christmas and pretending to add just enough "hanukkah" so that she doesn't feel guilty. Its sad to see a woman who calls herself jewish and has a kid setting her kid up to be christian like that. Two lost soles.

[maccabee]

on 1/9/2008 The concept of serving ham at a meal intended to recognize a holiday where jews were oppressed by being forced to eat pork takes ignorance to a whole new level.