It's a tradition. Decorate your own gingerbread house at Church Street School for Music and Art. Photo by Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Holiday Happenings for Families

Weekends in December through 12/16
Gingerbread House Decorating
Families build and decorate their houses while “elves” distribute the candies. Sat 2:15 & 4pm; Sun 11am, 1 & 3pm. $95. Call 212-571-7290 or email gb@churchstreet­school.­org. Church Street School for Music & Art, 74 Warren St.,churchstreetschool.org.

Fri, 12/7–Sun, 12/9
Santa’s Winter Garden
Take pictures with Santa Claus. Packages start at $20. Proceeds benefit the New York Theatre Ballet.  Fri., 12/7, 11am–3pm and 4–8pm; Sat., Dec. 8, 9am–1pm and 2–7pm; Sun., Dec. 9, 10am–1pm and 2–5pm. World  Financial Center Winter Garden, worldfinancialcenter.com.
 

Tue, 12/11, 4:30pm
Celebrate Hanukkah at Chabad
12/8: Menorah lighting, puppet show, movie, glow-in-the-dark dreidel tournament, plus latkes, donuts and prizes. Reservations required. Free. 12/9: Menorah lighting, air brushing, arts and crafts, candle making, face painting, balloon twisting, latkes, donuts and more. Bring a new, unwrapped toy for Hur­ricane Sandy victims. Reservations required. $36/family. 12/11: Latke-making, donut decorating and dreidel playing. For ages 4 to 10. Reservations required. Free. Chabad of Tribeca, 54 Reade St., chabadoftribeca.com.

Sat, 12/8, 2-3 p.m.

Washington Market Christmas Party

Every year, Santa is the guest of honor at Washington Market Park’s Christmas Party, where he arrives in his pedicab or bike peddled by an oversized elf. Afterwards, he takes children’s requests from his throne in the gazebo. The Trinity Youth Chorus will perform carols, and homemade cookies and hot apple cider will be served. Please bring a new, unwrapped toy for “Toys for Tots.” Rain date: Sunday, Dec. 9, 2 to 3 p.m. Washington Market Park is at Greenwich and Duane Streets, washingtonmarketpark.org.

Mon, 12/10, 3:45pm & Fri, 12/14 6pm
Hanukkah at Synagogue for the Arts
12/10: Kids Hanukkah Party. Musical program of interactive drumming to tell the story. Latkes and Menorah lighting. Reserve by 12/6, $10/child $20/family. 12/14: Family Dinner. Re­serve by 12/11, $35/adult $15/child 5-13, $90 maximum/family. Cantor-led  service and children's program. Syn­agogue for the Arts, 49 White St., synagogueforthearts.org. Re­servations: 212-966-7141.
 

Thu, 12/13, 1pm
A Solstice Celebration
Music performed by the Turtle Island Quartet that celebrates India’s Diwali, Hanukkah, English carols from the 16th century as well as other holiday standards. Also music from Vince Guaraldi’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” . Free. World Financial Center, wordfinancialcenter.com.
 

Fri, 12/14, 5:30pm
Hanukkah Shabbat with Tamid
Latkes, dinner, menorah lighting and Han­ukkah songs for families with young children. Reservations required. For details, email
connect@tamid­nyc.org.
 

Sun, 12/18-20, 3–6pm
A (15-Minute) Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens story starring Scrooge, Marley, Cratchit, Fezziwig, Tiny Tim and other  favorites is performed in record time by two actors from the New York Classical Theatre. Free. World Financial Center Winter Garden, worldfinancialcenter.com.

Adult Cheer

Tue, 12/11, 1pm
Christmas in Ireland
Danu performs traditional Celtic holiday music. Free. World Financial Center Winter Garden, worldfinancialcenter.com.
 

Thu, 12/13, 7pm
Beer + Latkes
Hanukkah party with beer tastings, latke sampling and dreidel spinning. $25. 92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St., 92ytribeca.org.
 

Fri, 12/14, 6pm & Sundays
Caroling at St. Paul’s
12/14: The Trinity Youth Chorus performs its annual concert of Benjamin Britten's work and leads holiday caroling with the audience after the concert. On Sundays at 8 pm listen to “Compline: Music by the Trinity Wall Street Choir.” Both events are free. St. Paul’s Chapel, 209 Broadway, trinitywallstreet.org.
 

Sun, 12/15, 1pm
Gingerbread House Decorating
Drink champagne, eat hors d’oeuvres and listen to live music while decorating a gingerbread house at The Bub­ble Lounge, 228 W. Broadway. $125 (single); $150 (couple). Sponsored by Church Street School for Music & Art. Email gb@churchstreet­school.org.
 

Sun, 12/16, 12pm
My Yiddish Hanukkah
Yiddish music and theater by the National Yiddish Theatre-Folksbiene. Free. Winter Garden, worldfinancialcenter.com.
 

Tue, 12/18, 6pm
Starry Night
TENET, a vocal ensemble, performs “Star­ry Night,” a holiday piece and homage to Van Gogh’s painting by the same name, and Dutch songs. $5. St. Paul’s Chapel, 209 Broadway, trinitywallstreet.org.
 

Wed, 12/26–Thu, 1/6
Twelfth Night Festival
Music performed nightly music in celebration of Christmas. $25. Trinity Church, 74 Trinity Pl. See trinitywallstreet.org for details.