5 things to do this weekend, including Hanukkah at the MFA and a Christmas concert

For those who celebrate Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish holiday honoring freedom, resilience and the miracle of light, there are many opportunities to enjoy this jubilant and meaningful time in Boston. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston hosts an evening full of Hanukkah activities, while in the Seaport, a menorah lighting will take place. For others looking ahead to Christmas and Kwanzaa, there is a concert and a cooking experience taking place this weekend, as well. Catch up on all the ways to rejoice, below.

The third annual Somerville Chanukah Party will bring an evening of dance and song to the Center for Arts at the Armory. Organized by the Boston Festival of New Jewish Music, the bash will feature Brooklyn-based clarinetist Michael Winograd and his band, who will perform selections from his recently released album of Jewish melodies, “TANZ! Live in NYC.” Also expect to hear from Boston-based ensemble Levyosn, which specializes in Yiddish tunes and klezmer, as well an appearance from Rachel Linsky Dance, sharing excerpts from her evening-length show “Looking Back, Stepping Forward.” The gathering lasts from 7-10 p.m., and general admission tickets cost $38.69. [Check out our holiday guide for more concert recommendations.]

The MFA celebrates the Jewish Festival of Lights with an evening full of joyful activities. These include dreidel and “coin” decorating from 5-9 p.m., where participants will use paint markers to create colorful tops, traditionally played with during the Jewish holiday. A Hanukkah Sensory Exploration room will allow guests to touch items like gelt and candles, participate in a scavenger hunt and assemble a set of candles from 5-7 p.m. There will also be live music from the Global Yiddish Orchestra, a festive parade, a Hanukkah blessing from the president and CEO of Combined Jewish Philanthropies, a talk on “Reality and Imagination: Rembrandt and the Jews in the Dutch Republic,” and much more. Entry is pay what you wish, starting at $5.

Nonprofit Haley House was founded as a “house of hospitality” in the South End and Roxbury in 1966. Today, the organization offers programs such as a soup kitchen and pantry, affordable housing, a social enterprise restaurant and more. This Saturday, the Haley House will welcome adults 55+ for a Kwanzaa cooking class at the Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library. Participants will learn to prepare African and African American dishes that relate to the seven principles of Kwanzaa, including unity, creativity and faith. Through this experience, organizers say attendees will not only connect over shared enjoyment of food, but will also honor heritage and exchange stories. Register to join the waiting list here. If you’re not able to attend this event, the Roxbury Branch and the Parker Hill Branch Libraries will hold a Kwanzaa Krawl for three days next weekend, Dec. 26, 27 and 29.

Choral group Seraphim Singers’ annual holiday concert will spotlight ethereal voices from its vocalists and music from The Bitumen Brass Quartet, as well as organist Heinrich Christensen. Listen to seasonal selections and newer works by composers such as Abbie Betanis and Lauren Spavelko that will likely become part of the ensemble’s tradition. Led by music director Eric Christopher Perry, the event will be held at Holy Name Parish in West Roxbury on Dec. 20 and Trinity Parish in Newton Centre and First Church in Cambridge on Dec. 21. General admission tickets cost $30.

Travel to Brookline to experience Feet of Clay Pottery, a cooperatively run studio shared by ceramic artists and potters. For the past 51 years, the organization has been holding a holiday show and sale, and this December’s exhibition features 43 artists, all of whom are year-round studio members. Expect to see (and have the opportunity to purchase) unique works from community members, including Brookline’s Abby Visco, West Roxbury’s Richard Gilson, Newton’s Carolyn Rubin. Tickets are free, and the showcase displays all kinds of designs: “hand-built, wheel-thrown and sculpted.”