NEW YORK, NY.- This holiday season, visitors to The Met are invited to marvel at the classic Christmas tree and menorah displays as well as enjoy seasonal food offerings, shopping opportunities, holiday concerts, educational programs, and more.

Christmas Tree Display

The Met’s Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche—a beloved holiday tradition—is on view in the Medieval Sculpture Hall (Gallery 305) from November 26, 2024, to January 6, 2025. The towering 20-foot blue spruce is adorned with a host of cherubs and angels. More than 70 additional figures at the base represent the three elements of Nativity scenes that were traditional to 18th-century Naples: adoring shepherds and their flocks, the procession of the three Magi, and spirited peasants and townspeople. Enhancing the display are nearly 50 charming animals and background elements—such as the ruins of a Roman temple, several quaint houses, and a typical Italian fountain—that create a dramatic setting for the Nativity.

Eastern European Silver Menorah

In honor of Hanukkah, a magnificent silver menorah made in 1866–72 is on view in The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Galleries (Floor 1, European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, Gallery 556) from November 26, 2024, to January 6, 2025. Created for the Great Synagogue in Lviv (present-day Ukraine), the ceremonial lamp—which is cast, chased, and engraved with elaborate motifs—is one of the largest silver Hanukkah lamps known. The menorah is on loan from The Moldovan Family Collection.

The eight-branched Hanukkah menorah commemorates an important moment in Jewish history: the triumphant Maccabean revolt against the oppressing Seleucid Empire and the reconsecration of the Jewish Holy Temple in 165 BC. The lamp's eight branches refer to the miracle in which the last vessel of oil, which should have lasted only one day, kept the temple menorah lit for eight days to allow for the Temple’s reconsecration.

Medieval “Christmastide” Decorations at The Met Cloisters

From December 12, 2024, through January 7, 2025, a unique tradition at The Met Cloisters pays tribute to the medieval Christmas celebration. Visitors enter under a great arch of holly boughs bright with red fruits, which symbolize light, warmth, and welcome. Holly is the plant that is most associated with the medieval feast.

Inside, grand arches will be decked with fresh ivy locally sourced in Fort Tryon Park. The horticulturists and garden volunteers at The Met Cloisters dress each of the ivy arches with hand-polished New York lady apples, hazelnuts, rosehips, and pinecones.

Elsewhere throughout the halls, cloisters, galleries, and arcades, verdant topiaries, garlands, and wreaths will be displayed. Candelabras will be decorated with ivy and adorned with fresh roses. The Cuxa Cloister will be filled with potted fragrant and flowering plants such as citrus, rosemary, and cyclamen. Each plant is a symbol and celebration of the season.

Exhibitions

Visitors to The Met Fifth Avenue will find a suite of special exhibitions to explore, including: Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350 (through January 26), the first major exhibition in the United States focusing on early Sienese painting, examining a period of phenomenal artistic innovation and activity at the dawn of the Italian Renaissance; Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now (through February 17), an exhibition demonstrating the many ways in which Black artists and other cultural figures have engaged with ancient Egypt as a source of inspiration and identity; and Mexican Prints at the Vanguard (though January 5), exploring the significance of prints to artistic identity and practice in Mexico and the resonating power of graphic arts addressing social and political issues. Mandalas: Mapping the Buddhist Art of Tibet (through January 12) highlights the imagery of Himalayan Buddhist devotional art through more than 100 paintings, sculptures, textiles, musical instruments, and an array of ritual objects, and Materialized Space: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph (through March 16), is the first ever major exhibition to examine the career of the influential 20th-century architect. Floridas: Anastasia Samoylova and Walker Evans (through May 11) is a consideration of how two artists of different generations have sought to understand the state’s complexity and contradictions. Jesse Krimes: Corrections (through July 13) pairs works made in federal prison by the artist with 19th-century photographs by French criminologist Alphonse Bertillon, who developed the first modern system of criminal identification. Mary Sully: Native Modern (through January 12) presents vividly colored drawings by the Yankton Dakota artist, including new acquisitions and archival family material and other Native items from The Met collection; Ink and Ivory: Indian Drawings and Photographs Selected with James Ivory (through May 4) exhibits superlative drawings from the courts and centers of India and Pakistan selected in partnership with film director James Ivory, whose recent gift to the Museum of 19th-century photograph albums are also featured; and The Three Perfections: Japanese Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting from the Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection (through August 3) showcases the power and complexity of the three forms of art through 160 works from a major promised gift and a range of focused presentations throughout the galleries featuring the Museum’s permanent collection.

Additional exhibitions and installations on view at The Met Fifth Avenue during the holiday season include: The American Wing at 100 (ongoing); The Genesis Facade Commission: Lee Bul, Long Tail Halo (through May 27); and The Great Hall Commission: Tong Yang-Tze, Dialogue (through April 8). Colorful Korea: The Lea R. Sneider Collection (opening December 2) will display works including paintings, ceramics, furniture, textiles, and funerary and ritual objects highlighting the pervasiveness of auspicious symbolism and the unpretentious dynamism in Korean art. For the full list of the season’s exhibitions, please refer to The Met's website.

MetLiveArts Performance Series

On December 8, Sight and Sound: Leonard Botstein and The Orchestra Now will explore the parallels between orchestral music and the visual arts with a performance that includes a Met curator introduction, a discussion with conductor and music historian Leon Botstein featuring on-screen exhibition images and live musical excerpts, a full performance of the works, and an audience Q&A.

Three-time Grammy-nominee Skylark Vocal Ensemble make its MetLiveArts debut on December 14 with Winter’s Night, an acclaimed program spanning half a century of music for the holiday season. Hear old favorites, new discoveries, and imaginative takes on beloved carols in a cozy performance sure to stave off any winter chill, featuring Hugo Distler's Chorale Variations on "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" and works by Allegri, Howells, Villette, Warlock, Tavener, and more. (Note: This event is waitlist only.)

For Families

Several family programs have been organized around the theme “Celebration.” The Art Trek program invites families with children ages 7 through 11 to discover favorite works of art through close looking together (December 7 and 21). Start with Art, for families with children ages 3 to 6, incorporates stories, sketching, and other activities in the Museum’s galleries (December 7 and 21).

There will be School Break Family Afternoons on December 23 and 27.

At The Met Cloisters, a slate of holiday programming is scheduled, including a medieval winter wreath workshop in which participants can learn about the symbolic meanings of plants and create a festive wreath alongside Met Cloisters horticultural staff in a special after-hours event (December 11; advance pre-registration is required). Additional programs activating The Met Cloisters during the season include a caroling performance by The Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School’s Vocal Ensemble (December 12) and daily holiday tours in which visitors learn how plants were used in winter celebrations such as medieval Christmastide and how Hannukah was celebrated in the Middle Ages (December 12–January 6). For a full schedule of events, please refer to The Met’s website.

Seasonal Dining

From December 2 to January 6, The Met Dining Room will serve a decadent holiday-themed menu. For more casual dining options, delight in festive beverages and sweets at the American Wing Cafe, the Petrie Court Cafe, The Great Hall Balcony Cafe, and The Eatery. Dual level Members and above can enjoy relaxed table service dining with a seasonal menus and specialty drinks at the Balcony Lounge. Breakfast is available on Saturdays and Sundays during Weekend Member Mornings. More dining information is available on The Met’s website.

Date Night

The Museum’s popular Date Night at The Met program continues throughout the winter season, every Friday and Saturday night, 5 to 9 p.m. Visitors are invited to escape the cold and enjoy art, Gallery Chats, and live performances and settle in with a seasonal beverage including hot cocoa and festive drinks in The American Wing Cafe and the Petrie Court Cafe. Met Members at the Dual level and above are welcome to enjoy relaxed table service dining with a seasonal menus and specialty drinks at the Balcony Lounge. Members at the Dual and Family levels enjoy walk-in access; Enthusiast level and above, call 212-650-2910 for reservations.