Holiday Lights, Festivals And Celebrations Fill The Ocean City Calendar

OCEAN CITY, NJ — With Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa festivities filling the December calendar, the problem may be deciding which events in Ocean City to attend.

Outside these religious and cultural celebrations, there are plenty of holiday light shows, parades, fairs and festivals to attend in Ocean City Here are some to consider:

• The Christmas Parade is Dec. 5, see details here
• Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, Santa will visit with children and be available for photos. He will be downtown at Mark Soifer Park (Ninth Street and Asbury Avenue) from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and outside Music Pier from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Model trains will be on display at the Ocean City Music Pier on Dec. 6 and 7.
• The Ocean City Free Public Library and Community Center will host their annual Holiday Festival from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 7.
• Enjoy the Cape Shore Chorale Christmas Concert on Dec. 7.
• The Hanukkah menorah in front of City Hall will be lit each night from Dec. 14 through 22.

As you plan your calendar, here are some key dates to consider:

• Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods, begins at sundown on Dec. 14 and continues until sundown on Dec. 22. The dates vary every year.

• Christmas, of course, is always Dec. 25.

• Kwanzaa, a weeklong celebration primarily held in the United States to honor African heritage and African-American culture, is observed from Dec. 26-Jan. 1, culminating with gift-giving and a lavish feast. The dates of this holiday do not change.