Amish preacher Roy Yoder normally marks Thanksgiving the traditional way in his Montana home. But this year, he celebrated Hanukkah instead — in Israel. Instead of tucking in to a turkey meal, he feasted on falafel, and instead of reflecting on the pilgrims, he spent the day learning about the story of the Maccabees. Yoder…
In his annual statement for Hanukkah, President Obama pointed out how rare it is to have the holiday and Thanksgiving fall together. He even used the recently coined term “Thanksgivukkah” in the statement released on Wednesday. “As the first Hanukkah candle is lit, we are reminded that our task is not only to secure the…
This year’s convergence of Hanukah and Thanksgiving, which, we’re told, will not be repeated until 70,000 years from now, leads to a question: Which celebrates the greater miracle? The question may seem misplaced, even impertinent. We understand Hanukah as a celebration of miracle; no miracle is associated with Thanksgiving. Yet I mean to argue that…
Plain old Hanukkah has been somewhat overshadowed this year by the monster that is Thanksgivukkah — for those of you living under a rock, Thanksgiving and the first day of Hannukah fall on the same day. But amid the tsunami of cranberry-infused sufganiyot and Manischewitz-brined turkey recipes, the hybrid holiday has inspired some pretty great…
“A person is obligated to see himself as if he were leaving Egypt.” This instruction from the Talmud may not seem timely at the moment, as American Jews prepare to celebrate the conjoined holidays of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving rather than Passover. But thanks to the visceral, devastating film “12 Years a Slave,” we have a…
For the last few months, the holiday collision known as Thanksgivukkah has been on every American Jew’s mind, or at least their Facebook wall. The Internet has blown up like butternut squash gone horribly wrong with articles about menus, decorations, and even special Thanksgivukkah sex. It’s all in good fun, of course, but it also…
Talk about your freak occurrences: For the first time since 1888 — and the last time, according to certain quantum physicists, for at least another 7,000 centuries — the Gregorian and Hebrew calendars have synched up so that this year, Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah will fall on the same day. This rare…
A once in a lifetime holiday that combines two of the most tasty holidays is a really serious event. Latkes, presents, lighting the menorah, making stuffing, and a turkey on the same night? Talk about a lot of pressure. We’d totally understand if you’re just not feeling up for making pumpkin sufganiyot. And we think…
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