When Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa collide: How Long Island families are celebrating
The Tenenhaus family, of Massapequa — Alli, Michael, Logan, 5, Ariella, 3, and Liana, 2 — wear matching Hanukkah pajamas during the holiday. Credit: Alli Tenenhaus
The way the December holidays fall this year could make a compelling story arc for the hit Netflix romantic comedy series "Nobody Wants This," in which a rabbi falls in love with a non-Jewish podcaster. How would they handle juggling this holiday season, when Christmas Day and the first night of Hanukkah both fall on Dec. 25?
Hanukkah and Christmas aren’t the only events that collide this month — after the sun sets on Christmas Day, it rises on Kwanzaa on Dec. 26, and both Kwanzaa and Hanukkah continue through Jan. 1.
Here’s how some Long Island families are celebrating the three overlapping monumental religious and secular occasions, in chronological order of their occurrence:
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Dec. 24 and 25
The Wunsch family Christmas celebration begins before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day — Mathew Wunsch, 35, a psychotherapist, and his husband, Matthew, 31, a meteorologist, of Sayville, kick off the season with Cookie Day and New York City Day earlier in the month.
The Christmas season always includes a trip to New York City to see the Rockefeller Center tree for Matthew, Aiden, 12, Jayzin, 10 and Mathew Wunsch, of Sayville. Credit: Mathew Wunsch
On the former, the dads and their two children, Aiden, 12, and Jayzin, 10, bake a variety of cookies to give platters to family members and, of course, to leave for Santa on Christmas Eve. "Rainbow cookies are a favorite," Mathew says. "Pignoli cookies. Pumpkin chocolate chip."
On New York City day, the family visits Manhattan to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree and holiday lights. And then, of course, comes the piece de resistance, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Over in Port Washington, newborn Dawson Everhart, 2 months old, will be celebrating his first Christmas Eve and Day, which brings his mother, Leah, 27, a teacher, back to her childhood. Dawson was born just before Halloween, so she and her husband, also named Dawson, 27, a heavy equipment operator, had Halloween, Thanksgiving and now Christmas with the baby. Everhart plans to dress him in a gingerbread man onesie for Christmas, she says. "It’s the cutest thing," she says.
Leah and Dawson Everhart, of Port Washington, will be celebrating baby Dawson's first Christmas this year. Credit: Diana Vasquez / Diana V Photography LLC
"Now I’m doing all these holidays again for the first time," Everhart says. "You’re thinking about all the traditions you can create." She says the new baby has made her extended family tighter, with everyone supporting the new parents. "Everything is just more close-knit for the holidays this season."
The Everharts' holiday card this year shares their joy with a photograph of the couple holding the baby. It says "Merry Christmas, The Everharts 2024."
Hanukkah, the nights of Dec. 25 through Jan. 1
Hudson Jitzchaki’s words tumble from his mouth, somersaulting over each other as the 8-year-old from North Bellmore can’t seem to list fast enough the things he likes about Hanukkah.
Arielle Ross and Jason Jitzchaki, of North Bellmore, celebrate Hanukkah in 2023 with their children, Hudson, now 8, Landon, now 5, and Austin, now 1. Credit: Arielle Ross
"What I like about Hanukkah is we can play a lot of dreidel and eat a lot of gelt," he says, referring to the holiday’s chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil. "When the latkes are ready, that’s my favorite part. And the Hanukkah lighting at Chabad. I like that because we once lit the menorah. And I also like the presents, it’s my favorite part." Oh, and then there’s the time when the family entered a menorah making contest and won for their menorah made of candy, he adds.
Arielle Ross and Jason Jitzchaki created a menorah made of candy with their children. Credit: Arielle Ross
When it’s the turn of Hudson’s little brother Landon, 5, to say what he likes about the holiday, he was in total agreement. "He said everything," he says.
The Jitzchaki family, which also includes 1-year-old Austin and parents Jason Jitzchaki, 39, an accountant, and Arielle Ross, 39, a stay-at-home mother, celebrates the eight-night holiday by doing all the things Hudson reeled off with family and friends. "We participate in a lot of the local festivals," Arielle adds. She and Jason like to play a game hiding the children’s gifts and telling them they are hot or cold as they look for them.
The family dresses in matching Hanukkah pajamas. Mom and Dad read the children Hanukkah stories. "It strengthens their relationship to Judaism by allowing them to feel more excited about who they are," Arielle says.
At Alli Tenenhaus’ home in Massapequa, the family lights the candles each of the holiday’s eight nights with dance parties. "It’s like doing the Hora around the table," says Tenenhaus, 37, a physical therapist. She and her husband, Michael, 39, a manager of professional development, and their children, Logan, 5, Ariella, 3, and Liana, 2, sing songs in English, Yiddish and Hebrew while holding hands and dancing.
Alli and Michael Tenenhaus with their children Logan, 5, Ariella, 3, and Liana, 2, of Massapequa, wear matching Hanukkah pajamas during the holiday. Credit: Alli Tenenhaus
One night of the holiday always includes an extended family tradition called "Latkes Eight Ways," Alli says. They’ll dine on latkes with fried chicken, latkes with brisket, latkes with nova lox, lakes with apple sauce, and more.
Kwanzaa, Dec. 26 through Jan. 1
Each year during Kwanzaa, Marcia Odle-McNair’s family will gather during one of the nights and talk about those they love who have died. This year will be especially poignant for Odle-McNair because her mother died in September at the age of 101, she says. Her only brother also died in September.
Keith McNair, left, and Marcia Odle-McNair hold a Kinara at their home, where they celebrate both Christmas and Kwanzaa, in Westbury. Credit: Morgan Campbell
"This has been a very challenging, difficult autumn," says Odle-McNair, 68, of Westbury. "This will be a very special celebration. The group will definitely be talking about them and remembering them."
On other Kwanzaa nights, Odle-McNair and her husband, Keith McNair, 68, celebrate the African American cultural holiday in a more lively way, with Afro-centric music and dancing, she says. She might prepare West Indian Curry and jerk chicken. "I make sugar cookies, and we decorate them with Kente cloth patterns to match the Kwanzaa theme," she says.
Kwanzaa and Christmas cookies at Keith McNair and Marcia Odle-McNair's home in Westbury. Credit: Morgan Campbell
The couple also displays traditional symbols of Kwanzaa in the buffet area of their home — iconic African Kente cloth; the Kinara candleholder with black, red and green candles representing African ancestral roots, and a basket of fruit that represents a bountiful harvest of crops.
In fact, Odle-McNair is somewhat of a Kwanzaa expert: she wrote a book in 1998 called "Kwanzaa Crafts: Gifts and Decorations for a Meaningful and Festive Celebration" that is still on sale on Amazon today, some 26 years later.
Beth Whitehouse writes about families, parenting and great things to do with the kids on Long Island. She’s been a Newsday editor and shared a 1997 Newsday staff Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800.