Hanukkah falls early this year and, in a rare alignment of calendars, the second day lands on Thanksgiving. For months now, we’ve been hearing about preparations for the convergence of the two holidays–which, sadly, has actually has been dubbed ‘Thanksgivukkah’. (Really, people?!)
Yes, apparently this is a thing. Thanksgivukkah has its own Facebook page with almost 13,000 likes! There are themed t-shirts, terrible puns like ‘Gobble Tov’, and hundreds of recipes attempting to combine popular foods from both holidays–it’s become quite the spectacle. But however commercial or comical this holiday may seem, we have to admit it’s pretty nice. Americans will have the rare opportunity to have fun celebrating two different holidays that actually share some underlying themes: family, food, and being thankful. And even if you’re not interested in trying to make sweet potato latkes or challah-apple stuffing, you can join in the Thanksgivukkah festivities by setting a beautiful table inspired by the traditions of both holidays.
Holiday Feast in High Style
Create an extra-special holiday atmosphere with a fun and festive tablescape that puts a spin on traditional Hanukkah decor. We started with the Hanukkah setup above by stylist Rita Brownstein from Design Megillah, and came up with a few embellishments to make it work for Thanksgivukkah (without dumping a cornucopia in the middle).
Instead of the regular silver and blue color palette, this room mixes varying shades of blue and warm metallic accents that echo autumn’s amber hues. Pale blue napkins, white plates, gleaming gold chargers and bowls are simple yet classy, especially set over a wash of robin’s egg blue. Get creative and add a few eye-catching elements that make your decor feel glamorous and cozy at the same time, like a bouquet of flowers grounded in golden dreidels or a glittery display of letters spelling out the holiday. A spare modern menorah can even act as a centerpiece–the sculptural design and metallic shine will draw attention right to the center of the table.
Traditional Thanksgiving tablescapes often use pumpkins and pinecones to bring in the colors and textures of fall. Update the look by taking a page from the Hanukkah decor, with gilded pumpkins and a set of shimmering pinecone placeholders. And, of course, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a turkey–but if you don’t plan on cooking one, you can always serve your favorite gravy or apple sauce in this cute turkey-shaped bowl, or wrap your napkins in cloisonné turkey napkin rings.
1. Blue Raspberry Rock Candy Crystal Sticks 2. Gold Charger Plates & Kate Spade New York White Dinner Plate 3. Round Polyester Tablecloth Turquoise 4. Lazy Susan Gold Hammered Brass Bowl 5. Metallic Gold Pumpkin Autumn Accent 6. Cloisonné Turkey Napkin Rings 7. Theresienthal Dagmar Crystal Wine Goblets 8. L’Object Gold Pinecone Place Card Holder 9. Brass Dreidel 10. Turkey Compote Bowl with Ladle 11. Tricolor Chanukah Candles 12. Cross Dye Basic Napkin Set 13. Legacy Series Gold Wood Chiavari Ballroom Chair 14. Hand Cut Gold Metallic Glitter Chipboard Letters 15. Hex Menorah by Ian Milne 16. Granit Salt and Pepper Set by Eva Zeisel 17. Ikat Blue Round Vegetable Bowl
