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For the first time since 2005 and only the fifth time since 1900, Christmas and the first night of Hanukkah overlap this year.

The unique holiday of Chrismukkah complicates life for some interfaith families, but many have seized the opportunity to bring Jewish and Christian traditions together in new ways.

Lisa Pontius, a Jewish woman who married a Methodist man, told the New York Times that she and her family will open Christmas presents on the morning of December 25th and then go through their typical Hanukkah routines that evening. This includes ordering Chinese food and eating it next to the menorah.

Similarly, Nico Wasserman, who is Jewish, and his Catholic wife will combine a gift exchange on Christmas morning with a Hanukkah breakfast menu featuring items like salmon and latkes, according to The New York Times.

On an organizational level, the overlap between Christmas and Hanukkah has opened the door for special interfaith events.

For example, Jews and Latino Christians in Houston co-hosted a combined Hanukkah and Christmas celebration at the city’s Holocaust Museum last week.

“The food on offer was a mix of both cultures – for example, a latke bar with guacamole, chili con queso and pico de gallo, as well as applesauce and sour cream. The donut-like pastry consisted of sufganiyot — a Hanukkah specialty — and buñuelos, and the mariachi band performed an attempt at the Jewish folk song “Hava Nagila,” the Associated Press reported on the event.

In the New York Times story and others, Jews reported that they had worried in the past that Hanukkah would be lost in all the Christmas fun that began in early November in most American communities.

But this year, many of these Jews are confident that there is room in Americans’ hearts for both holidays — even on the same day.

“I used to think Hanukkah couldn’t hold a candle to Christmas,” Susie Felber told the New York Times. “Now, as time goes on, I see that it’s not a competition. It means making room in your heart for all good things.”

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Term of the week: Wisconsin vs. Yoder

The Supreme Court’s 1972 Wisconsin v. Yoder decision was not discussed in my recent article on parental rights, but I studied it as part of my research.

The case pitted Amish families against Wisconsin officials and focused on a state law that requires all children to attend public schools at least until age 16. The Amish families said the law punished them for living according to their religious beliefs and removing children from school after eighth grade.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of the parents, writing that the parents’ right to practice their religion and raise their children as they saw fit outweighed the state’s interest in keeping the children in school for two more years , predominate.

“The case was decided primarily on free exercise grounds, but the court introduced a parental rights claim to support its argument,” Melissa Moschella, a philosophy professor at the University of Notre Dame, told me.

What I read…

Don’t miss Bobby Ross Jr.’s annual roundup of the year’s best religious journalism. I was honored to see my story about religious athletes at BYU on the list, and I looked forward to re-reading the great stories of my faith friends.

Fort Collins, Colorado, experienced a Christmas miracle of sorts last week when a thief returned the baby Jesus figurine he took from a local nativity scene. “I’m really sorry. I made a stupid mistake at the moment. “This will not happen again,” reads a note included with the returned figure, according to the Associated Press.

About a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, I wrote about states considering laws that would prevent future church closures. Now such COVID-era policies in Texas are being used by indigenous leaders to block a city-sponsored redevelopment project that would destroy land they consider sacred. Leaders and city officials disagree over whether Texas law protecting in-person worship services applies to the proposed construction, Religion News Service reports.

knick-knacks

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to everyone who celebrates! I hope your holiday meal is delicious and your family time is tension-free.