Happy Thanksgivikah: Two Great Holidays That Go Great Together

In the US, people try to mash together Christmas, Hanukkah, the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa, and occasionally Ramadan into a single “Happy Holidays” greeting. This year, people might be able to leave Hanukkah out of the greetings to slightly less offense, as it is arriving much earlier than usual.

The Jewish lunar calendar causes the holiday to float rather than have a fixed date on the Gregorian calendar, which can lead to overlap with several other holidays. This year, Hanukkah’s second day falls on Thanksgiving Day, making it … Thanksgivikah?

For those unfamiliar with the celebration of Hanukkah, you just need to know that it’s the most commercial of Jewish holidays. It’s a decent excuse to differentiate one’s identity during the rest of the holiday season. There are eight nights of celebration, including gifts, games with the top-like dreydl stories (both historical and cute), and special foods.

This year may pose a challenge for American Jews in Beijing wishing to combine the two by serving kosher turkey. Dini’s Kosher Diner is offering a reason to kvell as it has a RMB 75 kosher Turkey sandwich. It is also available for delivery.

For those who keep kosher, at least for the first night of the eight-day holiday there will be a candle lighting co-hosted by the Israeli Chamber of Commerce on November 27 at 6:30pm at Biteapitta in Tongli Studios on Sanlitun Houjie. For a taste of the holiday, there will be latkes (potato pancakes, RMB 5 each) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts, RMB 12) available. Don’t fret, those jelly doughnuts will be on offer starting today, November 20. To order sufganiyot, latkes, and homemade applesauce with a touch of cinnamon from Biteapitta, email avi@shabtais.com.

Image: eater.com