What the heck is Thanksgivukkah? Only the rarest holiday-- ever

What the heck is Thanksgivukkah? You may have heard the word recently, possibly on late-night television. The word is a portmanteau of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, and refers to what may be the rarest holiday in human history.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Thanksgivukkah is the rarest holiday in the world, occurring once every 70,000 years or so. And since Thanksgiving has only been a holiday for somewhere between 1621 or 1863, and the present day, it's a relative newcomer to the holiday party. And there's no guarantee that humans, or their holidays will still be around in 70,000 years.

That fact makes Thanksgivukkah the rarest holiday ever.

In addition to Thanksgiving, November 28 is also the first day of Hanukkah.

As families gather across the United States to offer prayers of thanksgiving, American Jews will also be gathering to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah, celebrating the ancient rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Of course, they will also be celebrating Thanksgiving too, which makes the day doubly special.

Late-night television personalities, such as Stephen Colbert, have already poked fun at the once-in-seventy-millennium coincidence and talk shows are using the confluence as an opportunity to highlight Jewish recipes.

Often, the recipes are traditional Hanukkah delicacies, but with a Thanksgiving twist.

In Boston, Mayor Thomas Menino said he would proclaim Nov. 28 as "Thanksgivukkah Day" in the city, the first such mayor to acknowledge the holiday. The Jewish community in Boston has created a website dedicated to the holiday.

Children are making "Menurkeys," Menorahs that incorporate turkeys into their design. One Kickstarter campaign is even selling an unusual take on the menorah for the holiday.

Also coincidental, Nov. 28 is the day famous Comet ISON passes closest to the Sun. In football, the Raiders will play the Cowboys and one of them must lose, a cause for celebration in itself. 

(Full disclosure: the author is unfortunately a 49ers fan.)

A birth foretold: click here to learn more!

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