ETHNIC HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS : There’s more to it than just a merry little Christmas.

Not everyone celebrates the holidays with tinsel, Santa Claus and eggnog. Around the Los Angeles area the diversity of ethnic and religious groups provides a number of opportunities to experience different types of celebrations during the holiday season. Since many are open to the public, you don’t need to be a member of a particular group to take part.

On Saturday, the Mexican-American Studies Program at Cal State Dominguez Hills is sponsoring a traditional Mexican posada , a celebration commemorating Joseph and Mary’s search for lodging at an inn, or posada, in Bethlehem. The ceremony will be done in song, with a pinata for breaking and food served afterward. The event will be at the Rancho Dominguez Adobe in Compton from 3:30 to 6 p.m.

For the Jewish community, sundown Saturday marks the start of Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 165 BC. A light is lit on one branch of a menorah during each of the eight days.

On Sunday, Chabad of South Bay is sponsoring its Grand Hanukkah Carnival and Festival in Lomita, complete with pony rides and Mr. Menorahman distributing gifts and toys. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public. A community outdoor menorah lighting will cap the event at 4 p.m.

In Westchester, the B’nai Tikvah congregation will have its annual Hanukkah Extravaganza on Sunday with a Hanukkah bazaar, menorah lighting, presentations by the synagogue’s children’s classes, and a schoolwide production of “Herschel and the Hanukkah Dybbeks.” The program begins at 11 a.m.; the Hanukkah bazaar, with booth games, and food and gift sales, runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hanukkah ends Dec. 27, right after the start of Kwanzaa, the seven-day celebration created in the United States to celebrate the African heritage of black Americans. Created after the Watts riots in the 1960s, Kwanzaa, which means first fruit in Swahili, stresses principles such as unity, family, responsibility, creativity and faith. Kwanzaa runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.

While some people hold pre-Kwanzaa celebrations, most wait until after Christmas. Look for a mention in a future weekend column.

A sampling of free, ethnic holiday celebrations in the South Bay and nearby:

* Traditional Mexican posada, Dec. 19, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at the Rancho Dominguez Adobe, 18127 S. Alameda St., Compton. Information: (310) 516-3326.

* Grand Hanukkah Carnival and Festival, Dec. 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., 24412 Narbonne Ave., Lomita. Information: (310) 326-8234.

* Hanukkah Extravaganza, Dec. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the B’nai Tikvah synagogue, 5820 West Manchester Ave., Westchester. Information: (310) 645-6262.