Leighton Meester Discovers the Surprising Backstory Behind Husband Adam Brody's Christmas Tradition on 'The OC'

Adam Brody and Leighton Meester Noam Galai/Getty Images

The O.C. introduced us to the holiday known as Chrismukkah, but Leighton Meester, the wife of show star Adam Brody, only recently discovered its origins. During a recent interview with The Messenger on Thursday, November 16, Meester, 37, mentioned that she had heard the word before and could understand its meaning. However, she was unaware that it was a blend of Christmas and Hanukkah until recently. "Maybe I just learned this recently. I don't know," she said.

The television show The O.C., created by Josh Schwartz, popularized the term Chrismukkah, which refers to the celebration of both Christmas and Hanukkah in interfaith families. In the season 1 episode "The Best Chrismukkah Ever," which aired in December 2003, Seth Cohen, played by Brody, defined the holiday. The episode centered around Ryan Atwood, played by Benjamin McKenzie, as he prepared for his first holiday with the Cohen family. Seth, whose parents were Kirsten and Sandy (played by Kelly Rowan and Peter Gallagher), introduced Ryan to the concept of Chrismukkah by asking him if he wanted to celebrate with a menorah or a candy cane. Seth then explained that in their house, there was no need to choose because they celebrated both holidays together.

Kirsten, who grew up celebrating Christmas, highlighted the dilemma she and Sandy faced as they tried to educate their son about religion. Seth chimed in, "That's when I took matters into my own hands and crafted a remarkable super-holiday, incorporating the finest aspects of both Christianity and Judaism."

Seth was willing to share the Chrismukkah joy with Ryan and the rest of The O.C. crew. Future holiday episodes of the Fox drama also highlighted Chrismukkah.

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Brody, now 43, and Meester, who previously starred in Schwartz's teen hit Gossip Girl, got married in 2014. They have two children together and have incorporated Chrismukkah into their family traditions, which was inspired by Schwartz's own childhood experiences. According to Meester, Chrismukkah is something that many people unknowingly celebrate, and although they are not religious, they still appreciate the beauty of Christmas and incorporate elements of the holiday into their celebration. They have combined their traditions and continue to celebrate Chrismukkah in their own unique way.

Some of Meester and Brody’s other traditions involve taking advantage of Los Angeles’ often-sunny weather.

Robbie Amell and Leighton Meester are the stars of the film "EXmas", produced by Paulina Stevens/Exmas Film Inc.

On Thursday, Leighton Meester jokingly shared that living in L.A. means celebrating Christmas by going to the beach and taking a stroll or visiting the pier. She also mentioned that they sometimes enjoy relaxing by the pool or in the jacuzzi. In recent years, she has opted to order food instead of cooking, as it can be quite laborious. However, now that her children are older, she finds it easier to enlist their help and make the process more convenient.