Christmas, Hanukkah Events In The Tri-Hamlet Area

SHIRLEY-MASTIC, NY — There is no shortage of things to do in the tri-hamlet area, and beyond, to get the winter holiday season off to a rollicking good start.

Christmas and Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, intersect this year, with Hanukkah running Dec. 18-26. Christmas, of course, is on Dec. 25, but you don’t have to wait to start taking in all the sights and sounds of the holidays.

Tree and menorah lightings in the tri-hamlet area and nearby are:

• Dec. 2 in Mastic: The Mastic Fire Department's tree lighting
• Dec. 4 in Brookhaven: The Brookhaven Fire Department's tree lighting
• Dec. 18 in Bellport and Patchogue: Menorah lightings

Christmas parades — often complete with Santa Claus, festively decorated floats and marching bands — are a holiday tradition, both nationally and locally.

Several big parades are taking place this year, including the Mayor’s Annual Christmas Parade in Baltimore City, Maryland; and the Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach, California.

Parades in the tri-hamlet area and nearby may not be able to match those in size, but the heart behind them is just as big. Parades to catch here at home include:

• Dec. 3 in Yaphank: The Yaphank Fire Department's parade
• Dec. 4 in Mastic-Shirley: Christmas parade
• Dec. 10 in Center Moriches: Holiday Parade of Lights

Correction: An earlier version of this story mentioned the Target Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis, which is not a parade but rather a collection of holiday-themed events.