This is How We (InterFaithfully) Holiday!

The menorah and the nativity co-exist at our house.

  

Today I'm sharing our home decorated for the holidays. As my husband is Jewish and I am Christian, we decorate for both Chanukah and Christmas. This year Chanukah was early enough that we didn't do much Christmas decorating until after Chanukah was over.

However, I always put our Christmas wreath on the front door and set up the nativity set for first Advent. I also make our Advent wreath in time for first Advent.

One of our Chanukah banners hangs in the kitchen every year. (By the way, "Chanukah" is a Hebrew word and there is no accepted transliteration for it so you will see Chanukah/Hanukkah/Hanukah/etc.) Dave's aunt sent us these little dreidels last year, and after experimenting with them in a few places, we hung them on our cupboards.

Dave loves doing origami so a few years ago I got him to make a bunch of different origami Stars of David. I strung them on silver ribbon and they hang in our office. Yes, we have a window inside our house :) It's a feature!

In the living room, Rachel's play menorah sits on the piano, and our family menorah and our nativity set hang out on the shelves. A few years ago I made the Happy Chanukah banner for our piano.

A close up of our piano banner.

The last place we decorate for Chanukah is our dining room. I got the inspiration for my centrepiece a number of years ago from a blog friend, Shoshanah. We also have two separate Chanukah garlands which we hang in the dining room.

This year I added blue and clear rocks to the centrepiece tray and I think it livened it up nicely. I have about seven plastic driedels in there. I also have little Chanukah confetti which I bought. I make the kids pick the confetti out and I reuse it every year! Ha! The confetti consists of tiny menorahs, driedels, Stars of David, and the words "Happy Hanukah."

Rachel asked me why I don't make a Chanukah wreath for our front door and the reason is that I don't want to put the energy into making a wreath which would only be up for eight days. Dave agrees that I don't need to do this - phew!

Behold! Our Christmas wreath.
 

Our dining room is pretty much the only place which gets decorated for Christmas, except for the nativity set which lives in the living room. Ha!

 

This year Chanukah ended on December 10 so we put our tree up on December 11. It just has random ornaments from when I was a kid and the ornaments we have given to the kids each year. And we ALWAYS have a real tree. I grew up on a tree nursery so I can't imagine ever having a fake one.

I made the light garland a few years ago. It it just random strips of Christmas cloth tied to a light string. What I love is that Rachel plugs the light garland and the tree in every morning. It's so pretty.

And here is our Advent wreath. I make it with greens and carnations (the only time of the year I go with carnations, otherwise I HATE them with a passion). We light our Advent wreath every night at supper.

So that is how we holiday. How do you holiday?

Once again I'm linking up with Kimberly, Andi, Tamara, and Tanya for #AMonthofFaves. I will be so sad when this month is over :(