As you might have heard by now, we’re just three days away from the convergence of two gastronomic holidays. Thanksgivukkah ’13 is the last time in the next 70,000 years that Thanksgiving will fall out on the first day of Hanukkah. Why? The latest Thanksgiving is November 28 and the earliest Hanukkah is currently November 28 but the lunar calendar shifts every 150 years or so and by the next complete lunar and solar cycle, the calendars will have already shifted out of sync. So let’s enjoy it while we can!

It seems that everyone has their own take on celebrating this new holiday, some more successful than others. Stephen Colbert attempted to draw a hand-menorah, in place of a hand-turkey (think kindergarten), but quickly discovered that not every tradition is easily transferable. A more successful attempt is the Menurkey, an actual menorah shaped like a turkey, designed and distributed by an entrepreneurial 4th grader, Asher Weintraub. You should also look out for a giant spinning dreidel at this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Then there’s the food. Restaurants across the country are preparing special menus with holiday delicacies ranging from apple cranberry sauce to pumpkin noodle kugel and roasted butternut squash with Brussels sprouts. If you’re looking for some Jewish-American cooking inspiration for your own table, check out Nosh on This with recipes including gluten-free Challah Cornbread Stuffing. Although I will never again experience the first day of Hanukkah on Thanksgiving, I certainly look forward to eating sweet-potato latkes for many years to come.