Moving out tends to mean also giving up a lot of things about home and family life. Suddenly, talking to family takes much more active effort than just showing up to the dinner table or coming home after school. And between budgeting to function in New York and paying tuition, flying home can be just another one of those expenses. Or sometimes, flights get overbooked, cancelled, or schedules just don’t line up. For all kinds of reasons, at some point while living away from home, you might find yourself spending the holidays without family. That was a depressing sentence, I know, but it’s really not all bad.
It’s upsetting to let go a childhood home, but maybe now there’s room to build a new idea of home. To compensate for the lack of family time is always the sweet independence of moving out. While the idea of spending the holidays without family in a city decked out in festivities is upsetting – there are lots of fun activities to try and sights to see. You could end up forming whole new traditions.
And of course, you are not alone in this; there are likely lots of other people in the same boat to reach out to. As someone who’s spent a couple holidays without family, I can say that reaching out to friends has given me some of the best holidays. Moving out may mean the losing one family for a while, but overtime you may find another one in friends.
It can take a while to find that community and come to term with missing out sometimes on family gatherings. So here’s a list of some fun holiday events and sights to help create some new traditions and get excited for!
Quick note, New York tends to be a pretty Christmas-oriented city. So if a holiday you celebrate has been left out, please know it is just as special as the ones mentioned.
Kwanzaa at the Apollo Theater
In celebration of Kwanzaa, the Apollo Theater has a beautiful annual show. This year the theater will be featuring Abdel R. Salaam’s Forces of Nature Dance Theater. For more information see here: https://www.apollotheater.org/event/kwanzaa-celebration-regeneration-night/
Kwanzaa at the Museum of Natural History
The Museum of Natural History also has an annual Kwanzaa event with speakers, live music, and a market place. For more information and tickets see here: https://www.amnh.org/calendar/kwanzaa-2017
LGBT Community Kwanzaa Celebration
This year marks the 40th of the LGBT Kwanzaa community holding their celebration. This year the theme is “Coming Home” and the welcoming of old and new friends. There will also be a feast at this one, so be sure to check it out! For more information and tickets see here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nyc-lgbt-kwanzaa-tickets-39757093537
9th Annual Latke Festival
The Brooklyn Museum will be holding their latke festival, it’s a night full of delicious latkes, tasting new recipes, and there will be celebrity judges. What’s not to love? For more information and tickets see here: http://www.latkefestival.com/home/
Lighting the World’s Largest Menorah
It turns out the world’s largest menorah is right here in New York and the sight of lighting the menorah is free! For more information see here: https://www.nycgo.com/events/lighting-of-the-worlds-largest-hanukkah-menorah
Light Up the Night Gala
A swankier more grown up celebration, the Museum of Jewish Heritage will be holding their annual Gala. The fancy event has a black tie optional dress code and comes with some dinner and dancing. For more information and tickets see here: http://mjhnyc.org/events/light-up-the-night/
Christmas Markets, Christmas Markets, Christmas Markets!
NYC has all kinds of Christmas markets to check out, two good starting points might be the ones in Union Square and Bryant Park, which also has an ice rink. Lots of areas are having some kind of market though, so for sure explore and check them out!
NYC Christmas Movie Tour
NYC tourist attractions are everywhere but for a fun different kind of tour – try seeing New York through famous Christmas movies. In this fun tour besides the usual sights, you’ll also see where iconic Christmas scenes were set. For more information and tickets see here: http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/nyc-christmas-movie-tour/
Radio City Musical Hall Christmas Spectacular
It’s a classic show that gives you a night of super bright Christmas eye candy and great performances. For more information and tickets see here: https://www.rockettes.com/christmas/
[Feature Image by Unsplash]