Weekend Events for the Whole Family in Berlin, Dec 30th - January 1st including NYE

New Year's Eve (Silvester)

They call it Silvester and it is the craziest night of the year. If this is your first NYE in Berlin, this is what to expect: 

• Everyone can buy tons of fireworks
• Consequently, explosions everywhere
• Plus parties and lots of alcohol

And if this does not sound like your kind of fun, especially with a baby/toddler or book somewhere as rural as possible (as this noise will be in all major cities). 

There are of course so many options of things to do in Berlin itself: 

• From 6pm : NYE for the whole family in the Spandau Citadel, with fireworks at the end 

Fireworks in the Spandau Citadel

• Several good parties for the clubbers in you, e.g. in Kino International or the Alte Muenze , at https://www.silvester-party-berlin.de/

Hanukkah

In general

• Candles and menorah can be bought in Judaica stores (e.g. Levy's in Hackescher Hoefe), or home-made, free ones (albeit pretty simple) are given by Chabad

• Sufganyot can be of course purchased as Pfannkuchen in every bakery, but for home-made upgraded ones, Yuval Belans offers a variety of interesting combinations (details)

Yuval Balens' Sufganyot

Seventh Candle, December 30th 

• Menorah lighting at the Oranienburger Str Synagogue at 3:30 pm 
• The "Rainbow Jews Chavurah" will light a GLBT and children friendly Menorah at 5pm, with crafts and food (details :  jonathan.rafael.balling@gmx.de )

Furthermore

• NYE fun runs: In the Grunewald (details); in the Plaenterwald on the 31st (details)

About Me

I offer tours in Berlin as well as write about the city as well as published several books and articles in general. I am always free for writing gigs - travel writing or any other types of writing and research - or of course to show you the wonderful city I live in

Weekend Events for the Whole Family in Berlin, Dec 23rd - 26th and all the way to the 29th, including Hanukkah

Christmas Markets during and after the Holiday

• Until January 1st: Winter World in Potsdamer Platz

• Alexanderplatz: On the 24th till 4pm 

• Breitscheidplatz (Europa Centre): Until January 1st On the 24th till 2pm, on the 25th/26th from 1 till 9 pm 

• Charlottenburg Palace : 12 to 8pm on the 25th/26th (closed on the 24th, the 26th is the last day)

• Opernpalais: Until January1st, on the 25th/26th 11.30 - 9pm, closed on the 24th 

Other Christmas-Related Events

• Every year, fans of Berlin's football (soccer) club FC Union are joining together to sing hymns and spread happiness. A very impressive event, Friday 23rd, at 5pm, in the Stadion Alte Foersterei (details)

• Another tradition, this time highly commercialised, is the Coca Cola Christmas Truck. They come on the 23rd, from 2pm, to the Brandenburg Gate and

Hanukkah

In general

• Candles and menorah can be bought in Judaica stores (e.g. Levy's in Hackescher Hoefe), or home-made, free ones (albeit pretty simple) are given by Chabad

• Sufganyot can be of course purchased as Pfannkuchen in every bakery, but for home-made upgraded ones, Yuval Belans offers a variety of interesting combinations (details)

Yuval Balens' Sufganyot

First Candle, December 24th

• Lighting in Pestalozzistrasse, from 4pm 
• Lighting the candles, singing and eating at the Fraenkelufer Synagogue, from 4:30pm 
• Lighting in Bleibergs, from 6pm (details)
• Party (as in clubbing) at midnight and onwards: Knusperhouse in Ritter Butzke (details) 

Second Candle, December 25th 

• Menorah lighting in Alexanderplatz (near Galeria Kaufhof, between the department store and the 200 bus station) , 6pm 

Third Candle, December 26th

• A guided tour for children in German: "Plätzchen, Latkes, Kerzenschein", about the two holidays. Organised by Stattreisen (not sure how it is) 2pm near the Bode (details)

• Chanukkah on Ice - at the Ice Stadium in Wilmersdorf , from 6:30 pm

Fourth Candle, December 27th 

• The annual tradition: the big Menorah lighting in Brandenburg Gate , starting at 6:30 pm

Fifth Candle, December 28th

• At 6:30 pm: a special Hanukkah concert with rabbi Walter Rothchild and the Minyan Boys, at the Mendelssohn Remise (details)

Sixth Candle, December 29th

• Bubales are back with the Hanukkah puppet theatre! With a Hanukkah party at the Rykestr Synagogue, from 4 pm (please register in advance) 

Seventh Candle, December 30th 

While officially in the next week, it has been already announced that there will be a lighting at the Oranienburger Str Synagogue at 3:30 pm 

Furthermore

• The Peter Pan children opera, Komische Oper, Monday 26th , 4pm 

• On the 26th, at 10:00, a fun run through Grunewald, costumes preferred! (details)

• Every day - Christmas circus in two versions: by Roncalli in the Tempodrom, and the "Berlin Christmas Circus" in the Olympic Stadium (details)

About Me

I offer tours in Berlin as well as write about the city as well as published several books and articles in general. I am always free for writing gigs - travel writing or any other types of writing and research - or of course to show you the wonderful city I live in