For the first time in nearly two decades, Christmas and the first night of Hanukkah will fall on the same date this year . In more than a century, the first night of Hanukkah has only coincided with Christmas four other times, in 1910, 1921, 1959 and 2005. The co-occurrence won’t happen again until 2035.
This year, one could say, is a true Chrismukkah. This pop-culture portmanteau describes the idea of celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah traditions. The concept was first conceived by German Jews in the 19th century, according to the Jewish Museum Berlin . Then it was called “Weihnukkah” (a combination of Weihnachten, the German word for Christmas, and Hanukkah). In 2003, the hit teen drama “The O.C.” popularized the term Chrismukkah when fictional character Seth Cohen, played by Adam Brody, celebrated the fun, fusion holiday.
