How to Spend a Christmas in the East Bay? (Chinese)

Every culture has its own strength. The fusion of Chinese and Western cultures is like the complementary ability of left and right hands, making life richer and more perfect. One of the biggest advantages of being abroad is to experience the essence of the combination of Chinese and Western cultures. For example, celebrating Christmas in East Bay, California! Christmas is one of the most popular holidays in the United States and commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. It is of extraordinary significance, a time for gathering family and friends, a warm and happy holiday, full of love and hope. So what can Chinese people do for Christmas in the East Bay? The following is a list of ten activities that you can do, even if you don’t speak English.

1. Come to Bethlehem

Bethlehem is the town where Jesus Christ was born. Imagine enjoying an outdoor living stable while drinking hot chocolate, or walking through the Creche exhibit while listening to Christmas music. Come to Brentwood to enjoy such an experience! 

Activity time: December 18-19, 6:30 pm-9:00 pm.

Location: 2350 Jeffery Way, Brentwood, CA

2. San Ramon Community Christmas Celebration

A 35-minute drive from Oakland to San Ramon, there will be a free admission community Christmas celebration. Here you can enjoy some wonderful festive songs, various dances, magic shows and take photos with Santa Claus.

Celebration time: December 19, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm

Location: 10550 Albion Rd, San Ramon, CA (Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center,)

3. Chinese Christmas Eve

More surprisingly,  there will be a Chinese Christmas Eve celebration on the charming Oakland Temple Hill! The included programs are Christmas-themed singing, violin and piano performances, testimony sharing, Light the World videos and singing along. While there you may meet old friends or new friends from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and other places!

Activity time: December 19, 6:00pm to 7:00pm

Location: 4766 Lincoln Ave, Oakland (Visitor Center)

4. Ten Hands, Two Grands

音樂是一種世界語言。不妨走進鋼琴音樂的殿堂，感受聖誕的歡樂氣氛？但不是獨奏，也不是二重奏，而是現場演出的《十手兩大鋼琴！ 》 

Performance time: December 20th, 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Performance location: 4770 Lincoln Ave, Oakland (Temple Hill Auditorium)

5. Candy Cane Lane

If you have children in your family, it is recommended to take them to the Candy Cane Avenue in Pleasanton. The neighborhood is full of Christmas lights and decorations where you can stroll or drive around. On Christmas Eve, various cartoon characters will be glowing, and children will be ecstatic, leaving you with joyful Christmas memories. 

Time: December 24th, 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Location: Walnut Drive Pleasanton, CA

6. Christmas Lane in Alameda

The dream of children, sending a letter to Santa Claus to the North Pole, can be fulfilled at Alameda’s Christmas Lane! Just write the return address clearly and wait patiently, and you will receive a reply from Santa! In addition, children can take photos with their favorite Cartoon characters such as Grinch, Paw Patrol Puppy, Star Wars, Snoopy and his friends, and with Christmas music. What a Christmas paradise for children!

Opening Date: December 4th to January 1st

Send a letter to Santa: December 4th to December 24th

Location: 3200 Thompson Ave Alameda, CA

7. Personal Nativity Tour 

What does Christmas mean to you? Apart from laughter, dazzling Christmas lights and gifts, what else? The word “Christmas” itself in Chinese has already revealed to us its true meaning—— the “divine birth”, which refers to Jesus Christ being born into the world. Whether you are a Christian or someone who has never heard of Jesus, taking a nativity tour in Chinese is perfect for the holiday! The Oakland Temple Visitors’ Center offers personal tours or free to celebrate the original Christmas story. The guided tour gives you an opportunity to ponder on the works of art depicting the birth of Christ and His early life,  and explore the true meaning of Christmas.

Chinese Nativity Tours Opening Hours: 

12/19, 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm

12/21, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

12/24, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

12/25, 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Location: 4766 Lincoln Ave, Oakland (Visitor Center)

8. Giving Machine 

Vending machines are well-known for their fast and convenient way of shopping. Now the same type of machine is transformed into Light the World Giving Machines on Oakland Temple Hill, providing people a quick and convenient way to donate to the needy. During the Christmas season, what is more meaningful than giving love? After choosing your items, simply swipe your card to help the hungry, the lonely and the helpless, and bring love to the world.

這些捐贈機器由耶穌基督後期聖徒教會贊助。在捐贈機上，您可以選擇向三個全球慈善機構和三個當地慈善機構進行捐贈。其中包括為兒童捐贈睡衣、為發展中國家捐贈食物等物品。購買成功後，標示已購買物品的卡片將掉落到機器底部，您的捐款 100% 將轉入所選慈善機構。您也可以代表他人捐款，作為聖誕節最特別的禮物。 Click here to learn more.

Opening hours: November 23 to January 3

Location: 4770 Lincoln Ave, Oakland ( in front of the Temple Hill Auditorium)

9. Christmas lights

聖誕節走進一個絢麗多彩的仙境是什麼感覺？奧克蘭聖殿山的聖誕燈飾不容錯過！從 11 月 26 日至 1 月 3 日，從黃昏到晚上 9 點，數千盞燈將照亮聖殿山，慶祝耶穌基督的誕生。耀眼的燈光下矗立著耶穌基督後期聖徒教會的奧克蘭聖殿，看起來就像一座迪士尼城堡。高大的棕櫚樹，直入雲霄，宏偉的噴泉，綠色的灌木叢，五顏六色的鮮花，清澈的海水，精美絕倫。漫步在這片仙境中，聆聽寧靜的聖誕背景音樂。站在屋頂花園欣賞海灣的景色、城市的夜景和寺廟庭院的全景更是令人嘆為觀止、驚嘆不已。帶上家人朋友一起來體驗吧！

Opening hours: November 26 to January 3

地點：奧克蘭林肯大道 4766 號（聖殿廣場）

10. The Jets concert

As the end of Christmas season brings 2021 to an end, what a wonderful opportunity to watch a live concert by The Jets to welcome the arrival of 2022! The Jets is a Tongan-American family band first discovered in Minnesota, who perform pop, R&B and dance music. They achieved global success from 1985 to 1990, have performed three world tours, and produced five top 10 singles on US Billboard Hot 100. They appear regularly on radio and TV shows, and perform live every night, Tuesday-Saturday,  at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, and what’s more, they will come to Oakland Temple Hill on January 3 for a New Year concert! Hurry up and reserve your free tickets! Click here for more information.

Concert time: January 3rd at 7:00 pm

Location: 4770 Lincoln Ave, Oakland (Temple Hill Auditorium)

Through these activities, we hope you will have a memorable Christmas season, full of love, hope and joy, in a mixture of Chinese and Western culture! If you have an activity you like, remember to share it with your neighbors and friends, add them to your calendar to avoid missing out!