Christmas Around The World and Holidays of Light Opens November 19 (includes complete Ethnic Performance Schedule)

Each year the Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S Lake Shore Dr, celebrates the holidays with Christmas Around The World and the Holidays of Light. More than fifty trees represent Chicago’s diverse ethnic communities, decorated by volunteers who want to share their cultural traditions.

In the Rotunda, MSI’s 45-foot Grand Tree will be decked out with more than 30,000 twinkling colorful lights and hundreds of ornaments and trimmings in bright, vibrant shades. Images of robots will even be helping to decorate the tree! Around the Museum’s Rotunda, fun-loving robots taking in iconic Chicago holiday traditions will be featured on four giant banners that surround the tree.

On the weekends there will be performances by various ethnic groups (schedule below), and snow will “fall” on the exhibit every half hour.

This year’s extravagant celebration begins with a Grand Tree Lighting Ceremony at 10:30am on November 19, 2015, and runs through January 3, 2016. The exhibits are included with admission, although the Robot exhibit is extra.

Christmas Around The World Ethnic Performance Schedule

Saturday, November 21

• 10:30 a.m. Finnladies of Chicagoland (Finland)
• 11:45 p.m. Chinese American Civic Council
• 2 p.m. McNulty Irish Dancers
• 3:15 p.m. Colombian Cultural Center
• 4:30 p.m. Ballet Folklorico International Tuwamari (Ecuador)

Sunday, November 22

• 10:30 a.m. Ensemble Horo (Bulgaria)
• 11:45 a.m. Alma Ecuatoriana (Ecuador)
• 2 p.m. St. George Serbian Orthodox Church
• 3:15 p.m. Tierra Colombiana & Viva Panama
• 4:30 p.m. Mali Kiscieliscany of Polish Highlander

Friday, November 27

• 11:45 p.m. Whispers Center for Artistic Expression (Poland)
• 2 p.m. Choomsarang Korean Dance Group
• 3:15 p.m. Tsukasa Taiko (Japan)
• 4:30 p.m. Punch & Judaism (Hanukkah)

Saturday, November 28

• 10:30 a.m. Moravian Cultural Society (Czech Republic)
• 11:45 a.m. PACF (Philippines)
• 2 p.m. Boliviamanta: After School Matters (Bolivia)
• 3:15 p.m. Mangalorean Konkan Christian Association (India)
• 4:30 p.m. Belizean Cultural Bearers, Inc.

Sunday, November 29

• 10:30 a.m. Bonnie Lindholm School of Dance (general holiday)
• 11:45 a.m. Nordikids (Sweden)
• 2 p.m. Chicago Cuatro Orchestra (Puerto Rico)
• 3:15 p.m. Flamenco Chicago (Spain)
• 4:30 p.m. Jasmin Jahal Dance Company (Middle East)

Saturday, December 5

• 11:45 a.m. FADA (Philippines)
• 2 p.m. Norwegian National League of Chicago
• 3:15 p.m. Welsh Cambrian Benevolent Society
• 4:30 p.m. Kupa’a’s School of the Pacific Arts (South Pacific)

Sunday, December 6

• 10:30 a.m. Filipino American History Society (Philippines)
• 11:45 a.m. Cherubic Voices Choir; Iskra School of Ukrainian Dance
• 2 p.m. Knights of Lithuania Dancers and Suktinis
• 3:15 p.m. Flores de Mexico of Linda’s Dance Studio
• 4:30 p.m. Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago

Saturday, December 12

• 10:30 a.m. Oak Forest Park District (general holiday)
• 11:45 a.m. Alioni Georgian Choir
• 2 p.m. Thistle & Heather Highland Dancers (Scotland)
• 3:15 p.m. Acapellago (general holiday)
• 4:30 p.m. Donya Dance Ensemble (Middle East)

Sunday, December 13

• 10:30 a.m. Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
• 11:45 a.m. India Catholic Association
• 2 p.m. Polish Scouting Organization of Illinois
• 3:15 p.m. Austrian Mixed Chorus
• 4:30 p.m. Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society (Greece)

Saturday, December 19

• 10:30 a.m. Croatian Folk Ensemble
• 11:45 a.m. Slovenian Catholic Center
• 2 p.m. Springbrook Chorus and Brass (general holiday)
• 3:15 p.m. Orquesta de Cuatro Fenix (Puerto Rico)
• 4:30 p.m. Borozda Folk Dance & Hungarian Scouts

Sunday, December 20

• 10:30 a.m. Joint Civic Committee Italian Americans
• 11:45 a.m. Campanella Children’s Choir (Russia)
• 2 p.m. Renacer Boliviano Troupe (Bolivia)
• 3:15 p.m. Saint Mark’s Coptic Church (Egypt)
• 4:30 p.m. Holy Nativity (Romania)

Tuesday, December 22

• 2 p.m. Holy Cross IHM Children’s Choir and Marimba Ensemble (Mexico)

Santa Claus will be at the Museum for photo opportunities with guests on select December dates from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Saturday-Sunday, December 5-6; Saturday-Sunday, December 12-13; and Saturday-Sunday, December 19-20. For more information, visit msichicago.org.

Regular Museum hours are 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., but extended hours (until 5:30 p.m.) are offered on the following days: November 21-22; November 27 – 29; December 5, 6, 12, 13; December 19 – 23, December 26 – 30; and January 2-3. The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  
Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light are all presented by Pepsi. Robot Revolution is sponsored by Google.org with additional major support from The Boeing Company.

Photo credit: Alison Neidt Toonen, Museum of Science and Industry