This year, Hanukkah and Christmas overlap. The Jewish holiday, which celebrates the miracle of the oil that lasted eight whole days, begins on December 24 at sundown, just as Santa's sleigh takes off to deliver presents to every child in the world overnight.
If you're a fan of The OC, you probably already know this and have spent the past three weeks gluing fake white fur to your yamaclaus. If you're not, well, allow me to introduce you to a brilliant holiday known as Chrismukkah.
Obviously, people have been celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah combined since long before The OC came along. But the actual term — or portmanteau, if you want to get fancy about it — "Chrismukkah" was first used by Seth Cohen to describe the uber holiday he invented to reconcile his interfaith upbringing.
OC creator Josh Schwartz has said that the idea stems out of his own experience as an East Coast Jewish kid moving to California for college.
"I felt very much like an outsider," he explained to Vulture in 2013. "Even trying to talk about Hanukkah with some of them was like coming from an alien planet and talking about life there. The show is really about outsiders: Ryan was the most obvious outsider, as was Seth. The idea of a mixed [half-Jewish, half-Christian] family in Newport would also contribute to the Cohen outsider-family status. That part of their identity was always very important. Seth coined a holiday that would both celebrate and underline his outsider status in Newport. That led us to Chrismukkah."
Fun fact: It was almost called Hanimas. (Let's let that sink in for a minute.)
So, what exactly goes into a Chrismukkah celebration? Grab some eggnog and spin a dreidel as we walk you through the essential elements.
An Introduction By Seth Cohen, Himself.
"So what's it gonna be huh? You want your menorah, or your candy cane? Christmas or Hanukkah? Don't worry about it buddy because in this house, you don't have to choose."
Chrismukkah, as the name implies, merges Christmas and Hanukkah into one super holiday. That means that you can take anything you like about both holidays (or any other one for that matter; Chrismukkah is inclusive) and combine them for extra festive festivities.
Some Accessory Options
1) The Yamaclaus
1 red yarmulke (Jewish skull cap) + white faux-fur trimming = yamaclaus.
2) The Menorah
Don't have candles on hand? Thanks to the magic of electricity, your menorah can actually last for way longer than the traditional 8 days.
3) The Lights
Combine the traditional Christmas red and green with some Hanukkah white and blue.
4) The Christmas Sweater
Note: These are only acceptable in the week preceding the actual holiday. Once Chrismukkah is over, your reindeer sweater should be too.
The Perfect Tree
If Seth Cohen has taught us anything, it's that the perfect tree is the heart and soul of Chrismukkah. Whether you're calling it a Christmas tree or a Hanukkah bush, decking it in boughs of holly or silver and blue dreidels, a good tree is key.
Look out for strong branches that can support heavy ornaments, and fresh needles. (Hanukkah may be the festival of light, but a house fire is definitely not festive.)
With A Side Of Bar Mitzvah
Remember when Ryan had a late-in-life bar mitzvah to raise money for Johnny? Mazel tov!
(Bonus points to this show for including the requisite "That's What Friends Are For" family group sway — a staple at any bar mitzvah.)
The Drama
The OC always had its fair share of drama, but it always seemed to peak around Chrismukkah. Case-in-point: Seth's dilemma about whether to choose Summer or Anna to be his lady love.
Did I Say Drama? I Meant Dramaaaaa
The holidays are a chance to spend time with your family — which inevitably leads to major family drama. A super-loaded holiday means double the drama, double the fun. In Newport, that means revealing that you, Caleb Nichol, once cheated on your wife and have been supporting your illegitimate child for the past 18 years. Oh, and that child is dating your daughter's ward.
The It's A Wonderful Life Moment
If a holiday goes by without a George Bailey reference, does it even count? The fourth and last Chrismukkah episode on the show featured Ryan and Taylor entering an alternate reality in which Ryan had never moved to Newport. And guess what: things are even weirder. (Shocker.)
So this Chrismukkah, take a moment to give thanks for your current life. If The OC is to be believed, it can always get worse.
The Perfect Indie Soundtrack
Chrismukkah isn't complete without a playlist of Christmas and Hanukkah covers by your favourite artists. And yes, we know you liked them before they were even famous.
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