Celebrate the fusion of Christmas and Hanukkah this year with these 5 ingenious dual-holiday decorating suggestions!
If your family celebrates Hanukkah and Christmas simultaneously, decorating your home for both can be quite a task. That's where Chrismukkah enters the picture, combining the cheer of Christmas and the light of Hanukkah into a delightful festive celebration. You have numerous options when it comes to furnishing your home with decor, from trees adorned with symbols from both traditions to menorahs sitting next to twinkling Christmas lights.
Lisa Fero, a former interior designer and the founder of Peace Love Light, a boutique online shop focusing on stylish Jish decor and gifts, explained the concept of Chrismukkah. This term, which originated in 19th-century Germany as "Weihnukkah" (a blend of "Weihnachten" and Hanukkah), gives interfaith families a chance to embrace the customs and traditions of both festivals in their own homes.
What is Chrismukkah?
The hype around Chrismukkah nowadays may lead you to believe it's a relatively new notion. However, it boasts centuries-old roots. The term first emerged in Germany in the 19th century and derived from the words "Weihnukkah," a combination of "Weihnachten" (meaning "Christmas" in German) and "Hanukkah." Today, Chrismukkah serves as a unique platform, enabling families of different faiths to take part in the customs and traditions of both holidays in their private spaces.
According to Lisa Fero, the essence of Chrismukkah lies in families recognizing the importance of celebrating their beliefs and heritage while highlighting their shared values and the beauty of both Hanukkah and Christmas.
Decorating for Chrismukkah
Whether you wish to combine the two traditions in your family celebrations or simply seek an innovative method to combine the best aspects of both festivals, decorating for Chrismukkah can be an excellent opportunity to express the true spirit of the season through your house decorations. Following are some simple ways to bring Chrismukkah to life through your decor:
1. Select a Harmonious Color Palette
To blend the traditions in your holiday decor, begin with selecting a harmonious color palette. This is an essential part of creating a cohesive appearance, as Fero explains. Generally, Christmas is associated with red and green hues, while Hanukkah favors blue and white. However, you can now find Christmas decorations in any color under the sun, and blending unconventional, bright shades becomes increasingly popular for the holiday.
By opting for a neutral metallic palette, such as silver or gold, you can create harmony between the more traditional Christmas colors and Hanukkah's symbolic blue and white. In a blog post from years ago, Fero shared her thoughts on various color palettes that can work well for Chrismukkah, such as a winter-themed scheme with whites, pastel blues, and rustic decorative elements or a more refined look with metallics, burgundy, blush, and rose gold.
2. Opt for a Themed Tree
Decorating a tree is undoubtedly one of the most popular Christmas traditions. To incorporate Chrismukkah into your Christmas tree, consider blending Hanukkah-themed ornaments, such as blue, white, and silver ornaments with Star of David motifs, dreidels, and other Hanukkah-related decor. You don't have to limit yourself to exclusively Hanukkah ornaments to create a Chrismukkah tree—blending decorative elements from both holidays can result in an attractive and unique tree.
3. Create a Chrismukkah Mantel
If you're fortunate enough to have a mantel in your home, it serves as an excellent opportunity to showcase your creativity and decorate each holiday season. Some items to consider for decorating your Chrismukkah mantel may include Christmas stockings, garlands, festive ornaments, and twinkling lights. Additionally, a menorah, candles, and Hanukkah-themed decor can further enhance the appearance of your mantel.
When tasked with creating a Chrismukkah mantel scene that incorporates elements of both holidays, Fero approached the project strategically, incorporating a lotus flower-shaped menorah, a wooden Hanukkah sign framed with a white metal wreath, and blue and white embroidered Hanukkah stockings for the kids in the family. A few mushroom accents finished off the theme and helped tie the decor to the Christmas tree on the opposite side of the mantel.
4. Utilize Lots of Lighting
The beauty of Chrismukkah lies in the ample use of twinkling lights. Not only is light an essential aspect of both Christmas and Hanukkah, but it also adds a magical touch to your decorations. Utilizing traditional menorahs, pillar candles, strands of twinkling lights, candlesticks, and tea lights can help create a festive atmosphere.
5. Don't Forget about the Dining Table
When it comes to holiday celebrations, food often takes center stage. To incorporate Chrismukkah into your dining table decor, think about how you would like to use the space during both Hanukkah and Christmas celebrations. Whether you plan to host separate dinners for each holiday or combine them, the decorations should be adapted accordingly to create a harmonious and visually appealing setting.
For their festive gatherings, Lero sought to establish an area that was Hanukkah-focused but could effortlessly transition to Christmas, as the family intended to conduct distinct meals for each celebration. To accomplish this, she selected a color scheme that would be suitable for both festivities and integrated decor from both occasions throughout the space, except for the table, which she kept dedicated to the celebration occurring first.
To accomplish this, intermingle decorations from both holidays on a credenza or sideboard within your dining room. This simplifies the task of decorating for the separate events, as you only need to focus on enhancing the dining table (such as centerpieces, accessories, linens, and placemats) instead of overhauling the entire room.
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- According to BHG News, Lisa Fero, the founder of Peace Love Light, recommends using a harmonious color palette like silver or gold for decorating during Chrismukkah, blending the traditional Christmas colors with Hanukkah's blue and white.
- This year, consider incorporating Christmas Decor and Hanukkah symbols into your Holidays Entertaining setup by creating a Chrismukkah Mantel with items like stockings, garlands, blue and white ornaments, and a menorah.
- For an innovative celebration, Home Trends suggest combining the best aspects of both festivals by decorating a tree with symbols from both traditions or opting for a Themed tree with Hanukkah-themed ornaments and Star of David motifs, such as what Lisa Fero did in her own home.
