Christmas in New York begins with preparations in November, enters full swing over Thanksgiving Weekend, and ends in early January.
COVID-19 Pandemic
December 1, 2020 ~ Many New York traditions are virtual or cancelled this year, but even during a pandemic, New York City is still one of the best places in the world to celebrate the holidays.
New York City’s Holiday Festivals
Most New Yorkers call the season “The Holidays” instead of “Christmas” because we celebrate many traditions and not everyone celebrates Christmas. We use “Christmas” on these pages because that is what most people search for, but we do mean the holidays.
New Yorkers celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, Letter of the Year, Three Kings Day and probably some other festivals we don’t know about yet.
Whatever you celebrate, we wish you and your family a Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year!
Thanksgiving Weekend Opens NYC’s Christmas & Holiday Season!
Thursday-Sunday, November 25-28, 2021 🇺🇸
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Celebrate Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights!
Sunday, November 28 – December 6, 2021 ✡️
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On Giving Tuesday, Support the Arts
Tuesday, November 30, 2021 🎁
Celebrate Christmas Eve, Noche Buena!
Friday, December 24, 2021 🎄
Celebrate Kwanzaa, the African American Holiday Tradition!
Sunday, December 26, 2021 – January 1, 2022 🌍
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Happy New Year 2022!
Saturday, January 1, 2022 🥳
If you haven’t had enough of the holidays, visit Puerto Rico where the Christmas season starts on November 19 and ends with the San Sebastian Street Festival in Old San Juan, around January 15-20. Puerto Rico has the world’s longest holiday season.
Christmas Markets
Christmas Markets are fun and good places for children to do holiday shopping.
2020
Winter Village in Bryant Park is the only non-virtual holiday market this year.
Kids Like to Shop at Bryant Park’s Winter Village Holiday Market
BRYANT PARK, Midtown, NYC EXPECTED Friday, October 29, 2021-Jan 2, 2022 🎄
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PRIDA’s Virtual National Puerto Rican Artisans Fair & Book Expo Is Extended All Year Long
comitenoviembrevirtualfair.org | Through November 2021 🇵🇷
Celebrate Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square 2021!
LINCOLN SQUARE, NYC | Monday, November 29, 2021 🎪
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Christmas Shows
New York City’s traditional Christmas shows are the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular, NYC Ballet’s Nutcracker, and Paul Winter’s Winter Solstice Celebration.
2020
Paul Winter’s Winter Solstice Celebration is streaming, but that’s about it this year.
Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular 2021 Tickets Are on Sale
RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, Midtown, NYC 👯♀️👯♀️👯♀️ November 5, 2021 – January 2, 2022
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NYC Ballet’s “George Balanchine The Nutcracker” 2021
DAVID H. KOCH THEATER, Lincoln Center, NYC 🩰 [Expected] November 26, 2021 – Jan 2, 2022
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Paul Winter’s Winter Solstice Celebration is Streaming This Year
CATHEDRAL OF ST JOHN THE DIVINE, Morningside Heights, NYC 🌄 Expected Saturday, December 18, 2021
Continue Reading Paul Winter’s Winter Solstice Celebration is Streaming This Year
Calpulli Presents the Streaming Premiere of their Wonderful Christmas Show “Navidad: A Mexican-American Christmas”
calpullidance.org | Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 2021 🇲🇽 🎄
“El Pesebre” is a Classic Nativity Play
Saturday, December 21, 2019
BRONXWORKS BETANCES COMMUNITY CENTER
Mott Haven, The Bronx
NYC’s top Colombians in theatre, music and dance perform a shepherd’s play
FREE
Magic Flute
December 15, 2019 – January 4, 2020
METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE
Lincoln Center, NYC
This shortened English family version of Mozart’s fairy tale opera is a New York holiday tradition
Navidad Flamenca: A Flamenco Nutcracker
Fri-Sun, December 6-8, 2019
LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC ~ Bring to life the holiday traditions of the Spanish diaspora in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico and mother Spain at Abrons Arts Center
Christmas Concerts
Christmas concerts make the season merry.
2020
Indoor entertainment is cancelled this year.
Chris Botti
March 8, 2020
BERGEN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Englewood, New Jersey
–
The Italian-American trumpeter is the best-selling American instrumental artist
Handel’s “Messiah” at Trinity Church is a NYC Holiday Tradition
Fri-Sun, Dec 20-22, 2019
TRINITY CHURCH Wall Street
Financial District, NYC
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Los Pleneros de la 21
Wed, December 18, 2019
JULIA DE BURGOS CENTER
El Barrio, East Harlem, NYC
Celebrate Christmas Puerto Rican style with a bomba and plena Parranda cycle ¡WEPA!
Big Band Holidays
Wednesday-Sunday, December 18-22, 2019
Rose Theater
JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER
Columbus Circle, NYC
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Carlos Henriquez make the holidays swing
The New York Philharmonic’s Handel’s “Messiah” is a NYC Holiday Tradition
Tue-Thu, Dec 17-19, 2019
DAVID GEFFEN HALL
Lincoln Center, NYC
Continue Reading The New York Philharmonic’s Handel’s “Messiah” is a NYC Holiday Tradition
Willie Colón, Salsa Legend
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Lehman Center
JEROME PARK, The Bronx ~ Celebrate Christmas like we did in 1971 with the Latin Christmas album “Asalto navideño”
Three Kings Day
Three Kings Day is the climax of many Latin Christmas traditions. Epiphany, the Twelfth Day of Christmas, and the end of the Christmas season, is the traditional Latin gift-giving day.
The Three Kings represent all the parts of who we are as Latins: White, Black and Brown. They came from the orient and in the Caribbean and South America we have oriental Latins too. Can you think of any other traditional icons who represent diversity?
Celebrate Three Kings Day, Día de Los Reyes
Thursday, January 6, 2022 👑👑👑
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The El Museo Three Kings Day Parade 2021 Celebrates Our Collective Strength Virtually
ELMUSEO.ORG, Facebook, YouTube | Wednesday, January 6, 2021 🇵🇷 🎄
Latin Christmas Traditions
Start a Parranda, the Puerto Rican Christmas Caroling Tradition
November 19, 2021 to Three Kings Day 🇵🇷🎄
Continue Reading Start a Parranda, the Puerto Rican Christmas Caroling Tradition
Celebrate La Posada, the Mexican Caroling Tradition!
Thursday, December 16-24, 2021 🇲🇽
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