Do you have more than one set of holiday traditions in your home? If so, the symbols and rituals of Christmas and Hanukkah can be interwoven with new traditions.

I Googled around looking for statistics about interfaith families and found that approximately 25-35 percent of American couples are part of an interfaith relationship. This makes the winter holidays a uniquely mixed blessing.

I’ve always approached the issue from the gut feeling that sharing the best of both faiths and the richness of a multicultural extended family, need not be fraught with difficulty, but rather enriched through integrity, sensitivity and respect. The acceptance and support of discovering new traditions by reinforcing similarities instead of dividing differences, I believe, builds healthy families.

Staying connected to old traditions with strong heritages, and building new family ones, is cause for celebration in homes throughout the world. In other words, let’s decorate the Christmas tree and light the menorah!

Much has been discussed about the advantages of live vs. man-made Christmas trees. Here’s the lively Care2 discussion.

I am still opting for a beautiful real tree in agreement with a recent New York Times article How Green Can a Christmas Tree Be? “Fresh trees are preferable to fake ones. Artificial trees are “made of oil-based products, they often contain lead and they’re not recyclable … real trees purify the air and can be used after Christmas, to mulch your roses. And another thing: They are beautiful.”

Here’s a mix of somewhat unusual and untraditional ideas for bringing the symbols of Hanukkah and Christmas into your home.

• Four reusable Christmas trees that pass the EcoNesting test for being both eco-friendly and chicly designed.

• Some unique DIY menorah designs from Celebrate Green are made with medal washers, LED lights, mini-flower pots and clay.

• Here’s an interesting green twist on Christmas tree ownership. If you live in California, The Living Christmas Tree Company will deliver a live tree right to your door. You have the option to rent it, buy it, or they will keep it alive for you until next Christmas!

• This Hanukkah idea fits nicely with a Zen décor. Use 8 glass tealight holders all the same size and one a little larger for a total of nine to create a menorah of your own. The 8 nights of Hanukkah can be numbered on the glasses. These glass candle holders from Crate and Barrel would work beautifully and are less than $1 for the small and $2 for the large one.

• Did you say you don’t like to water a tree or pick up pine needles for months after Christmas? No problem with these life-size Christmas tree decals. These removable wall stickers might be the greenest (and least traditional ) trees of all.

• The highlight of Hanukkah celebrations are the illumination of candle light for eight nights. Paraffin candles used in many menorahs are made from petroleum products which are not renewable and contain a multitude of hazards. Candles can be made from beeswax or soy are the more natural choice. Or buy some natural ones.

• Check out some alternative uses for Christmas tree lights decorations here.

While not every interfaith or multicultural family can blend their traditions and find common ground, there is a Web site that is devoted to the Christmas/Hanukkah mix. For an informative, funny and musical twist on blending the holidays, check out www.chrismukkah.com.

The universal themes of family and peace light our world this holiday season. How does your family knit together holiday traditions?

Ronnie Citron-Fink lives in New York with her husband, two children (when they come home to the nest), two dogs and a cat. Ronnie is a teacher and a writer. She has been a contributing writer for Family Fun magazine. She currently writes articles about education and home design. Her writings are in four books including Family Fun Home and Some Delights of the Hudson Valley.