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The Weiss-Pires family, consisting of Lynda, Lillian, and Bessie, finds joy in the holiday season through baking a blend of Christmas and Hanukkah treats in their Oakland, California kitchen.
Lillian Weiss-Pires, an 8-year-old, expresses her fondness for Christmas, describing it as a cozy time filled with tree decorations and the thrill of opening gifts. “I like to imagine Santa coming in and dropping down the presents,” she shares. However, Lillian’s enthusiasm extends to Hanukkah as well, where she appreciates the communal aspect. “Hanukkah is where you can really gather up with friends and family,” she says. “Also, you get to eat a lot more, and I love eating!”
A holiday with European history
The unique celebration that combines Jewish and Christian traditions is often referred to as Chrismukkah. In 2024, the overlap is particularly notable as Hanukkah begins on Christmas Day, an occurrence that is relatively rare.
Chrismukkah traces its origins back to the 19th century, rooted in the experiences of German Jews who began adopting Christmas customs in a secular manner as a sign of assimilation into German Christian society. The celebration was initially dubbed Weihnukkah, where the term “Weihnachten” translates to Christmas in German.
As journalist James Wald highlighted in a 2016 article for The Times of Israel, this assimilation came with both acceptance and challenges. “On one hand, the assimilation was a sign of social acceptance and economic and political integration,” he noted, while also acknowledging it led to a decline in the Jewish population.
In the United States, the term Chrismukkah has gained traction in popular culture over recent years, particularly following its feature in a 2003 episode of the television show The O.C. One of the series’ main characters, Seth Cohen, celebrated the hybrid holiday, representing his combined Jewish and Protestant heritage, which led to annual episodes centered around Chrismukkah.
An Oakland Chrismukkah
This year, as the festivities of Christmas and Hanukkah converge, the baking experience in the Weiss-Pires household has become a bit more hectic than usual. The scent of gingerbread mingles in the air, while rugelach, a cherished Jewish pastry, goes into the oven without its usual topping. Lynda Pires, one of Lillian’s moms, playfully adjusts in the kitchen, “Usually you put it at the very beginning, but we can do this now while it’s sizzling a little bit,” as she adds cinnamon sugar to the hot pastries before placing them back in the oven.
The family’s blended traditions are deeply interwoven. Lynda recalls growing up in a Catholic environment filled with crucifixes, courtesy of her Brazilian father. “I loved going to Hanukkah parties,” she reminisces, noting the culinary delights she enjoyed, including her friend’s mother’s exceptional chocolate cake.
Bessie Weiss, Lillian’s other parent, is Jewish and has celebrated Hanukkah throughout her life. “We would light the candles every night; some years there would be small gifts,” she reflects on her own childhood experiences celebrating the Festival of Lights in the San Francisco Bay Area. Yet, Bessie has also embraced Christmas traditions over the years, admitting, “All the Jews in my parents’ neighborhood would go Christmas caroling!”
Navigating the day
Today, the Weiss-Pires family continues to enjoy a mix of Christmas and Hanukkah songs, from the festive cheer of “Jingle Bells” to the classic “Last Christmas.” Lillian favors the Ariana Grande rendition, while her moms have a soft spot for George Michael’s version. They also enjoy singing seasonal Hanukkah tunes, such as “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel.”
That said, blending the celebrations can sometimes create confusion, especially in a year like this when the holidays coincide. Lillian expresses how she navigates her attire: “Whenever I want to wear something that’s holiday-themed, I usually pick what’s the closest holiday,” she shares, though she feels uncertain about which holiday-themed clothing to choose this year. However, her moms reassure her that with both celebrations occurring simultaneously, mixing and matching is perfectly acceptable.
“OK, so I could wear blue shiny pants decorated with the symbol of Hanukkah,” Lillian muses about her dream outfit for Holiday 2024, adding a Christmas sweater into the mix.
Source
www.npr.org