the festival of lights

Hanukkah is always a fun holiday to celebrate because it is one of the more 'laid back' Jewish holidays. With zero days of fasting and zero dietary restrictions there is just time for family gatherings, great food, games, and gifts! At my house we always kick off the eight days of Hanukkah by unloading the box of Hanukkah decor, menorahs, and dreidels otherwise stored in the basement. Over the years we have come to acquire many menorahs and lots (and lots) of dreidels to fill our dining table. This year we got to add Thanksgiving to the mix since they fell on the same day -- Thanksgivukkah is what is has affectionately been coined. In honor of the Thanksgivukkah (and ultimately, Hanukkah) holiday, here is some of my favorite Hanukkah-related coolness I have stumbled upon:

/Since the first day of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving fell on the same day this year, there was a lot of 'Menurkey' (menorah+turkey) talk going on. This was one Menurkey craft project:

/In other Thanksgivukkah news, here is a real-life Menurkey that was available for sale this year!

/Food was another category that was influenced by the combined holiday -- Thanksgiving takes on Hanukkah food were abundant. One example was sweet potato latkes. They were delicious!

/It's customary to have jelly-filled doughnuts (sufganiyot) on Hanukkah but I am a fan of chocolate stuffed instead. I found these doughnuts that are filled -- and topped -- with chocolate. They get my vote!

/These are the classic dreidels we have every year for Hanukkah. They are simple, but all of the colors together look so fun on a table. They are also INDESTRUCTIBLE and last forever!

/These are my favorite Hanukkah candles. They look so beautiful when they melt and are awesome all together in the menorah. When I am tasked with buying Hanukkah candles I always opt for the most colorful ones! 

/These Hanukkah cookies are awesome because they have candy hidden inside. Since Hanukkah is all about celebrations, it seems fitting that even the cookies have a party going on!

/These glasses are awesome -- when you wear them, every light looks like a bunch of colorful Jewish stars. We have them at our house and they are so fun, even if they make you look super nerdy!

/I purchased this book for my sister for Hanukkah this year. It is full of Hanukkah songs that have the words changed to be about cats instead. After laughing out loud singing the new words, we decided we like the new lyrics best. 

Hope you enjoyed your Thankgivukkah as well!