Christmas in New York 2022 is one of the quieter days of the year, but New York City is one of the best places in the world to celebrate Christmas and the Holidays.
Christmas is the world’s most popular Latin festival. The date was chosen by an Italian pope because though Christ was a historical figure, nobody knows when he was born.
Christmas Eve
The famous Christmas poem, “Twas the night before Christmas…,” was written by poet Clement Clarke Moore when he lived in Chelsea, Manhattan at 348 West 22nd St.
Our personal NYC Christmas Eve tradition is to have dinner or a drink at the Russian Tea Room, and then go next door to Carnegie Hall for their Christmas Eve youth concert.
CHRISTMAS EVE CONCERT
The New York String Orchestra led by Bolivian conductor Jaime Laredo with Venezuelan violinist Rubén Rengel play Elgar, Mozart, Bach and Tchaikovsky on Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage on Saturday, December 24, 2022 at 7pm. From $21. 🇧🇴🇻🇪
Chris Botti plays his 18th Holiday Residency of Jazz at the Blue Note in Greenwich Village, on Saturday, December 24, 2022 at 8 & 10:30pm (6 & 10pm doors). From $64. 🇮🇹
Christmas Day
Christmas is Sunday, December 25, 2022. Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Feliz Natal, Buon Natale, Joyeux Noël, Craciun Fericit!
However you celebrate, we wish you and your family happy holidays.
Chris Botti plays his 18th Holiday Residency of Jazz at the Blue Note in Greenwich Village, on Sunday, December 25, 2022 at 8 & 10:30pm (6 & 10pm doors). From $64. 🇮🇹
Christmas Things To Do in NYC 2022
The American concept of Christmas spirit derives from Washington Irving’s parody “A History of New York” (1809). The stories include an imaginary family visit to an English country manor that defines how we see Christmas today. At the time, Christmas in England and the Americas was a low-level riot, where the lower classes taunted the upper classes to feast them. People bought into Irving’s fantasy of peace on earth and good will.
Many American Christmas traditions, like Christmas windows and visiting Santa Claus, were created by New York City merchants.
Christmas Windows
Macy’s Holiday Windows are at Macy’s Herald Square from Thursday, November 17, 2022 – Sunday, January 1, 2023.
Christmas Markets
Bryant Park Winter Village family shopping, ice skating and dining is open in Midtown South daily from Friday, October 25, 2022 – January 3, 2023.
The Grand Central Holiday Fair in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal in Midtown, East, Manhattan, from Monday, November 14 – December 24, 2022. grandcentralterminal.com
The Union Square Holiday Market is in Union Square Park, November 17 – December 24, 2022. It is closed on Thanksgiving. urbanspacenyc.com
The Brooklyn Borough Hall Holiday Market is Monday, November 28 – December 26, 2022. urbanspacenyc.com
The Columbus Circle Holiday Market is at the Central Park gate on Columbus Circle in Midtown, November 29 – December 4, 2022. urbanspacenyc.com
Santa Claus
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2022 brings Santa Claus to NYC, from the Upper West Side to Macy’s Herald Square, and live on NBC 4, on Thursday, November 24, 2022, from 9am – 12noon. 🇨🇺🇯🇲
Macy’s Santaland is at Macy’s Herald Square on the 8th Floor from Friday, November 25 – December 24, 2022. By reservation (5 days in advance). macys.com
Winter Wonderland at The Apollo brings Santa under the marquee for picture taking and holiday activities at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 2pm. Free. 🇺🇸
Christmas Trees
The Met Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Central Park, Manhattan, Tuesday, November 22, 2022 – January 8, 2023. $25. 🇮🇹
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is lit live on NBC on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.
The Dante Park Christmas Tree Lighting is in Lincoln Square, Manhattan, on Monday, December 5, 2022 at 5pm.
Christmas Dance Theatre
The Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular is at Radio City Music Hall in Midtown, Manhattan several times daily on most days from Friday, November 18, 2022 – Monday, January 2, 2023. From $51.
New York City Ballet presents “George Balanchine, The Nutcracker” at the David H Koch Theater in Lincoln Center, from Friday, November 25 – Saturday, December 31, 2022. From $90.
Navidad Flamenca, a Holiday Flamenco show, is at Flamenco Vivo’s 4W43 Ballroom in Midtown, Manhattan, on December 10, 2022 at 4 & 7:30pm. $29. 🇪🇸
EDITOR’S PICK
“Navidad: A Mexican-American Christmas,” by Calpulli Mexican Dance Company, connects Indigenous Mexican, Hispanic, and American holiday traditions in a mariachi nutcracker folkloric ballet at the Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows Corona Park: Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 2pm & 7pm; Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 3pm; with a special educational performance on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 10:30am. From $25 or 4 for $90 with code 4FOR90. queenstheatre.org 🇲🇽
Sueño de Reyes – Dream of Kings; children’s theater that imagines the Three Kings arriving in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico instead of Bethlehem; is at Teatro SEA in Manhattan’s Lower East Side; Saturday-Sunday, December 10-11 & 17-18, 2022 at 3pm; Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 7pm; and Saturday-Sunday, January 7-8 at 3pm. $20 adults/$15 children. 🇵🇷
The award-winning Soweta Gospel Choir sings South African holiday music at Lehman Center in Jerome Park, The Bronx on Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 4pm. From $35. lehmancenter.org 🇿🇦
The Westchester Ballet Company dances “The Nutcracker” Christmas ballet at Lehman Center in Jerome Park, The Bronx on Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 4:30pm. From $31.
Christmas Concerts
Celebrate the holidays at El Parrandón de la Gran Manzana a reunion of merengue orchestra La Gran Manzana including Víctor Roque, Henry Hierro, Willie Gomez, Pablo Martinez, Victor Brito, Tony Valdez; with special guests José Alberto “El Canario” and Grupo D’Ahora at Lehman Center in Jerome Park, The Bronx on Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 9pm. From $40. 🇩🇴
Chris Botti plays his 18th Holiday Residency of Jazz at the Blue Note in Greenwich Village, nightly, December 5, 2022 – January 1, 2023, including Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. From $64. 🇮🇹
Big Band Holidays with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and guest singer Samara Joy is a family concert of big band Jazz holiday favorites at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater, Wednesday-Sunday, December 14-18, 2022. From $41. 🇺🇸
Mariah Carey Merry Christmas To All is at Holiday show at Madison Square Garden in Chelsea, NYC on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at 8pm (7pm doors). From $90. 🇻🇪
Pedrito Martinez plays a Cuban Rumba and Timba Holiday Show at Drom in Manhattan’s East Village on Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 7pm. From $30. 🇨🇺
Uptown Nights presents Kings Return, a night of African American a cappella holiday gospel, jazz, R&B and classical music at Harlem Stage in Manhattanville, West Harlem on Friday-Saturday, December 16, 2022 at 7:30pm. From $25. 🇺🇸
CHRISTMAS EVE CONCERT
The New York String Orchestra led by Bolivian conductor Jaime Laredo with Venezuelan violinist Rubén Rengel play Elgar, Mozart, Bach and Tchaikovsky on Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage on Saturday, December 24, 2022 at 7pm. From $21. 🇧🇴🇻🇪