It's a rarity that Thanksgiving and Hanukkah overlap (it won't happen again for 80,000 years!), but with all the recipes, advice and guides to the celebrations, we're feeling a dangerous amount of holiday overload. So what if the two actually cancelled each other out? Think of all the amazing things you could spend your time doing. Here, a guide to an anti-Thanksgivukkah long weekend.
1. Learn the theme song. If we're going to do this, team, we're going to do it right. Yes, there's a theme song, thanks to a man named Michael Skliar, and it's about turkeys and latkes. Set to the tune of Hava Nagila. Obviously.
2. Follow a new sport. All of New York's pro sports teams are currently terrible. Why not take this opportunity to become a fan of an underappreciated sport or team? Next month, the city's Armory is hosting the Colgate women's games, the largest track and field competition in the country. You've got a month to get up to speed on hurdling technique and steeplechase strategy. We suggest you start this weekend.
3. Watch films like a French person. Our resident Frenchie Marine Boudeau has made you a starter list of streamable old and new French classics (classiques?) to get you started.
4. Sneak in some culture. Since everyone else's holidays will likely mean sitting around immobilized in front of food, take advantage of having the city to yourself. Go to the Frick and see The Goldfinch, that painting that everyone's talking about because Donna Tartt wrote a book about it. Other options include reading the book, or any book, for that matter. But out of the house, please.
5. Face some adversity. You already missed the New York Road Runner's annual cross-country 9-miler (though you probably wouldn't say you missed it), but that doesn't mean you can't attempt to tackle the world-famous Cemetery Hill course in the Bronx's Van Cortland Park.
6. Be neighborly. Since you're going to be out facing adversity and getting cultured, you're not going to be using your internet at home. How about helping your community out and sharing your wifi with your neighbors? (We made you a handy flow-chart to help you figure out if this is a good idea or not).
7. Hear some Hasidic reggae. That's not a new concept to anybody who's familiar with Matisyahu - and we know that's a lot of you - but the Jewish rapper's music is the perfect soundtrack to a mashup holiday. Plus it will get you in the mood for a show he's playing at Webster Hall next week.
8. Catch up on new television shows you may have missed. Okay, so maybe this isn't an alternative thing to do, as watching television seems to be our new Thanksgiving tradition. But while most people are watching the parade and football, you may want some other options. We love Trophy Wife (ABC), Hello Ladies (HBO), and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX). We're hearing great things about The Returned (Sundance), Sleepy Hollow (FOX), Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC), @midnight (Comedy Central), and The Fosters (ABC Family).
9. Go on a date. This is pretty much the most non-holidayesque thing we can think of, and your odds of finding fellow holiday haters (or ambivalents) such as yourself are high. You can even use How About We to get going on suggestions 1-8. You're welcome.
10. Be thankful anyway. And not because you have to, because you can. Send us a picture of something you're thankful for - tag it #WNYCgratefulfor and we'll feature the best ones next week when we're all back at work.
Gobble tov, everybody.