Christmas, Holiday Events In Braintree: Tree Lightings, Gift Drives

BRAINTREE, MA — There is no shortage of things to do in Braintree 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 lightings in Braintree are:

• The annual Christmas Tree Lighting will take place on Saturday, Dec. 3, with festivities beginning at 4 p.m. on the Town Hall Mall. Mayor Charlies Kokoros will be joined by special guests to light the town tree at 4:30 p.m., officials said.

Gift drives are another way to get in the holiday spirit. In Braintree, there are four ways to do so this year:

• Fill A Cruiser Holiday Toy Drive: Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., outside of Braintree Town Hall. Sponsored by Braintree Police and Brewster Ambulance.
• Jake and Joe's (Braintree) Dine Out: Wednesday, Dec. 7, all day. Twenty percent of all bills participating in the fundraiser will be donated to the Marge Crispin Center. Diners must simply let their server know that they are participating in the Marge Crispin Center fundraiser.
• Annual Braintree Christmas Party: Campanele's, 88 Pearl St., Thursday, Dec. 8, at 6:30 p.m.
• Teen and Tween Gift Drive: Masonic Temple, 403 R Washington St., Saturday, Dec. 10, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Gifts for older kids)

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; the Target Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis; and the Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach, California.

Holiday lighting displays are another holiday favorite. One to catch in Massachusetts is the Gillette Stadium 'Magic Of Lights' display.