A number of winter holidays are coming up including Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas, giving an opportunity for people to take a break from their daily routines and enjoy the holidays with their loved ones and friends.

“I’m excited for Hanukkah because it’s my favorite holiday and the town truly lights up,” junior Noa Bakhshi said.

Luminosity Festival located in Eisenhower park at East Meadow is hosting several activities this year from Nov. 7 to Jan. 1 with the theme of a fantasy winter fairyland. New attractions this year include the Lumi Express Holiday Train and the Castle in the Sky light sculpture. The Luminosity Festival focuses greatly on the scenery and is friendly for people of all ages, making it a great spot for families to gather. To visit, simply visit their website to purchase tickets.

“New Years is probably what I’m most excited for this year,” sophomore Damaris Miranda said.

Lights and Ice is an annual event hosted at Jonathan L. lelpi Firefighters Park with a winter wonderland theme. The annual event offers a diverse variety of events including snow machines, local vendors, performances, ice skating, face painting and party robots. Although the event only lasts only one weekend from Dec. 6 to 7, the event is completely free besides activities that might require rentals such as ice skating and fire pit. Located in Great Neck and within walking distance of most residents, many people within the community will surely be there this winter.

It’s also a good opportunity to give back to the community as the event greatly relies on volunteers for the activities. There are simple tasks that can greatly benefit from a little extra help from volunteers. In past years, North High students have volunteered at the Lights and Ice festival before.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree (Credit: rockefellercenter.com).

“I volunteered at the Christmas festival at firefighter park last year as a face painter, the experience was great,” sophomore Elaine Xing said. “The decorations were beautiful, especially the trees, and the vendors had interesting products and delicious food.”

A popular winter attraction located in the city that carries the weight of being an ionic symbolism of winter holidays would be the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree of this year was set up Nov. 8 at Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan. The tree is extremely grand, with over 50,000 multi-colored LED lights and a 900 pound Swarovski crystal star, it has the pressure of holding up a near century old tradition.

It is important to note that while the Rockefeller Christmas Tree is an eye-catching sight many would not want to miss, the area is extremely crowded with tourists and locals on Christmas Day. Choosing a time with less crowds might be a better option.

“I unintentionally visited the Rockefeller Christmas Tree one year,” sophomore Elenor Li said. “The amount of people there is more overwhelming than the magnificence of being in the presence of the tree, it lowkey felt underwhelming.”

Another annual event taking place this winter is Old Westbury Gardens’ Shimmering Solstice, a light show that will showcase a mile-long illuminated walk through the gardens, displays, and light projections.

With both children and adults spending so much time with technology in modern day, this outdoor event is a must for taking a step back from the screen and immersing yourself in the beauty of art and nature of the community. Seasonal snacks and drinks will be provided to visitors on site during the light show. Like the Luminosity Festival, purchased tickets are required before visit.

Jones Beach also offers an annual event except with far flashier light displays. The Magic of Lights at Jones Beach Theater features in total over two million lights with well known show characters such as Barbie, Bigfoot and dinosaurs displayed in impressive measurements. The Magic of Lights at Jones Beach would undoubtedly be a magical place to build memories for small children, perfect to bring younger siblings to visit.