SAN DIEGO – When I was in high school/college I got sucked into the tv series The O.C. and like most viewers, the anticipation of waiting to watch what the characters would do always made for great conversations the next day at school.
One particular O.C. episode that aired on Dec. 3, 2003, portrayed Seth Cohen (played by Jewish actor Adam Brody) explaining to his friends the made-up holiday he created which allowed him to celebrate Christmas with his Mom and Chanukah with his Dad, coined “Chrismukkah.” That was the first time I had heard that and thought that it was pretty brilliant as I am Jewish and my husband is not.
It is a nice tradition for interfaith families and friends to gather to celebrate both holidays together.
With Christmas being so mainstream, it was hard growing up with all the decorations, trees and lights all around. I wondered why we just had a menorah and nothing fancy. It seems like after I heard about Chrismukkah, I started seeing shelves at the stores with blue lights, “ugly” Chanukah sweaters and fun decorations.
According to an msn.com article, it lists how to celebrate Chrismukkah:
- Decorate. Consider decorating half the mantle with a Christmas theme and the other half with Hanukkah colors. Try to create a central decoration that combines the two, like a miniature tree decorated with dreidels.
- Add humor. Have the family gather to watch The O.C. episode that started it all.
- Get educated. If you belong to an interfaith family, share your customs with one another or tell one another what you love best about their faith.
- Try a combo meal. Latkes are traditional for Hanukkah, and eggnog is a Christmas tipple. Try finding ways to combine traditional foods into a great big feast. Fruitcake-flavored donuts, anyone?
- Make it up as you go along. There are no rules, so you can feel free to make up your own and build on them every year.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Congregation Beth El’s Next (programming for adults in their 50s, 60s and 70s) will celebrate Havdalah and Pre-Hanukkah at 6 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14. The event will begin with Havdalah then a Hanukkah-themed dinner and latke bar. As a conversation piece, organizers suggest bringing a Hannukah item that is special to you to share a little about yourselves with everyone. Click here to register.
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Congregation Beth Am invites the community to attend its Hanukkah at the Highlands at 6 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 26 at the Del Mar Highlands Town Center. The event includes Rabbi David Kornberg and congregant, Eph Rosenzweig lighting the 2nd candle, singing Hanukkah songs, and sufganiot.
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Congregation Beth Israel invites the community to attend its public Chanukah lighting at 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 28 at Mission Valley Mall. The event includes live entertainment by DJ Benji, family-friendly crafts, donuts and a dessert bar.
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Chabad of East County invites the community to attend its “Grand Lego Menorah Lighting” at 3:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 29 at the new Chabad of East County Center. The event includes an LED Robot show, latkes, donuts and more. Click here to rsvp.
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Coastal Roots Farm invites the community to attend its “Fields of Light: A Chanukah Celebration” at 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 29. The event will include Chanukah games, live music and people of all or no faith background are welcome. Click here for tickets.
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Chabad of Poway invites the community to attend its Chanukah celebration at 4:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 29. The event includes menorah lighting, moon bounce, doughnut decorating, gelt drop, candle making, music and food available for purchase.
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Sisterhood at Tifereth Israel Synagogue invites friends and families to join a no-host “Asian Fusion Chanukah Dinner” at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 29 at a local Chinese restaurant. Click here to rsvp.
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AROUND THE COUNTY
Chabad at La Costa announces an end-of- year campaign to fund its Addy and Arthur Hale Educational Center and to fill it with learners. Click here to donate.
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Hillel of San Diego is partnering with Jewish Networking Hub to encourage Jewish community members in various fields to mentor students. Click here for more information.
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Sisterhood at Tifereth Israel Synagogue encourage Mah Jongg players to purchase their 2025 Mah Jongg cards through Sisterhood as they receive a percentage of each sale. Click here to purchase by Wednesday, Jan. 29.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.