Meet the Menurkey: A Turkey-Shaped Menorah Just in Time For Thanksgivukkah
Thanksgivukkah comes but once every thousands and thousands of years (seriously, scholars aren’t sure if and when the next merging of Thanksgiving and Hannukah might be, but they estimate it’ll be another 77,000 years before this happens again). So you’ll want to make the most of this rare and momentous occasion.
The American celebration of Thanksgiving and the Jewish festival of Hannukah actually have quite a bit in common: they’re both about spending time with families, and eating lots of delicious food, and they both stress being thankful for who and what you’ve got (though Hannukah last an entire 8 days and involves giving and receiving small gifts, too).
Still, people that enjoy and honor both holidays have been coming up with great ways to celebrate Thanksgivukkah. And that mostly means eating Thanksgiving/Hannukah hybrid foods like Maneschewitz-brined turkey, and challah apple stuffing. But one enterprising family came up with a brand new Thanksgivukkah tradition to add to the mix: The Menurkey.
MORE: Last-Minute Entertaining Ideas For The Holidays
You may have guessed from its name, but the Menurkey is Hannukah menorah shaped like a Thanksgiving turkey, and it’s the brainchild of Asher Weintraub, a regular 9-year-old from New York City. Asher came up with the idea, and his parents —Caroline Baron and Anthony Weintraub— linked up with some friends at Makerbot Studios who helped turn his idea into a prototype, and then a real working menorah.
“What began as a way to encourage one of our son’s ideas has grown into a mission – whomever we tell about the Menurkey smiles and asks questions, and it’s a great way to discuss these two holidays in which we’re thankful for all we’ve been given,” writes Weintraub on the Menurkey site. “What better way to celebrate this strange but amazing occurrence with your family than with this funny and fascinating conversation starter?”
The Menurkey reminds us a bit of those awesome hand turkeys we used to make in elementary school, but taken to a whole other level. And we’re digging that the whole family worked on the project together. Plus, we’re thinking that a Menurkey might just be a fun replacement menorah, even when Thanksgivukkah is long over.
The plaster Menurkey retails for $50, and can be purchased here.
