The Word is Chrismukkah
Definition: Merriam-Webster Dictionary: This dictionary does not recognize Chrismukkah as a word.
So I consulted Wikipedia for their definition:
"Chrismukkah is a pop culture portmanteau neologism referring to the merging of the holidays Christianity’s Christmas and Judaism’s Hanukkah.
My Story on Chrismukkah
This Wednesday, December 25th, 2024 is being recognized by some as Chrismukkah (when Hanukkah and Christmas fall on the same day) so I thought it would be nice to share some facts and then some thoughts.
First the facts from my research:
Fact #1: Chrismukkah first arose in the German-speaking countries within middle class Jews of the 19th century. After World War II, it became particularly popular in the United States, but is also celebrated in other countries.
Fact #2: The term, Chrismukkah, was popularized beginning in December of 2003 by the TV drama THE O.C.,wherein the character Seth Cohen creates the holiday to signify his upbringing in an interfaith household with a Jewish father and a Protestant mother.
Fact #3: 2005 was the fifth time since 1910 that Christmas and Hanukkah fell on the same day.
Fact #4: We'll have to wait until 2035 to experience Chrismukkah again.
Fact #5: The Christmas and Hanukkah holidays don't align more often because the Jewish religion follows the lunar calendar while most of the world follows the solar or Gregorian calendar.
Now some thoughts:
It is kind of a tricky word to say. It doesn’t roll off your tongue like love, joy, happiness, and peace do. Yet, in my opinion, it is the coming together of people to celebrate a common theme -
a miracle happened here. For Hanukkah, it is the miracle of light and for Christmas, it is the miraculous birth of the baby Jesus.
So when Christmas and Hanukkah fall on the same day, I say embrace it. Celebrate the belief in miracles. No one is asking you to change your faith, but where's the harm in appreciating each other's connections to their faith and beliefs? One need not negate the other. One need only find common ground. In this case, it is the belief in miracles.
Albert Einstein, best known as a man of science once said: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
With that thought in mind, I wish everyone a joyful holiday season, filled with the spirit of miracles and goodwill for the coming year and beyond.
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