Kathryn Michaels, a Christian, and her husband, Mark Zuckerman, a Jew, have celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah since they married in 1982. But the holidays usually came at different times.
"This year has thrown us a little," Michaels said. Tonight, the Los Angeles couple will light the first candle on the Hanukkah menorah, then head to a Christmas party.
For the first time since 1959 and only the fourth time in nearly a century, Christmas and the start of Hanukkah fall on the same day. Hanukkah follows the Jewish calendar, which is tied to the moon's cycles, so it can occur as early as Thanksgiving or as late as New Year's Eve.
Because more than half of Jews marry outside their faith, many of those who marry Christians must juggle both holidays, each with its own unique customs and traditions. Indeed, a dual celebration could be confusing.
"This is the mother of all Chrismukkahs," said Ron Gompertz, who with his Christian wife, Michelle, co-founded the website www.chrismukkah.com, defined as "a cross-cultural gumbo of cherished rituals and festivities shared by interfaith families."
Or, more simply put, "a merry mishmash holiday."
"It's a completely natural by-product of this country's history, whether it's interfaith or interracial marriage," said Gompertz, who took the name for his website from an episode of the Fox series "The O.C."
But honoring the two holidays while respecting their religious differences can be a tough balancing act. The Christian holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and the eight-day Jewish festival of lights commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after occupiers were driven out.
Michaels and Zuckerman teach their two children a little of both faiths. "We try to go to church occasionally and we try to go to temple occasionally," Michaels said.
"I have many friends who have married and decided to raise their children Jewish, but they had strong reasons for not wanting to continue their own religious background and I didn't feel that way," she said. "I was happy in my faith, but I've been happy in learning more about Judaism too."
At Temple Israel of Hollywood, where a large portion of the couples are interfaith, Rabbi John Rosove holds annual "December dilemma" group discussions. He counsels couples to choose one faith and stick with it.
"The first question I ask them is how are you raising your children?" he said. "Often, couples answer as both, which I explain is impossible."
