Christmas Eve

A $10 stuffed gorilla could help house its real-life counterparts. Susan Valentine, vice president of retail marketing at the Rubin Organization, yesterday announced a one-month campaign to raise $50,000 toward the rebuilding of the World of Primates at the Philadelphia Zoo, which burned on Christmas Eve, killing 23 primates. Seventeen malls in three states will sell "Baby George. "

On Christmas Eve, as desperate shoppers stalk the stores in an eleventh- hour frenzy of gift buying, a very different sort of Christmas ritual will be unfolding in many homes across the Northeast. As dusk falls, you will find many Polish Americans gathered with their families, scanning the sky for the first star. The appearance of that star signals the start of the Christmas Eve festivities that are the heart of Christmas for Poles. For these Poles, who follow centuries-old traditions, Christmas is not about giving and getting expensive gifts.

1. Christmas Light Show and Wanamaker Organ Concert Starts 10 a.m. Friday and every hour to 8 p.m. daily until Dec. 23 (5 p.m. Christmas Eve). Closed Christmas Day, then daily (hours vary) through Dec. 31. Macy's, 1300 Market St. Free. Also stop by the Dickens Village on 3. 2. Holiday Garden Railway: Friday is also opening day for Morris Arboretum's twee holiday tradition (through Dec. 31), featuring miniature replicas of local landmarks decked out for Christmas. Saturday, carolers perform from 1-3 p.m., and there's a take-home craft project.

'TIS THE SEASON for another Italian tradition, the Feast of Seven Fishes, usually served Christmas Eve and sometimes involving up to 13 - but never 40! - courses. Did we say this was an Italian tradition? Some say Italian-Americans came up with the idea to show folks back in the Old Country how good life was here. However it started, the custom's pretty entrenched around these parts now. Here's how several local restaurants are observing: * Northern Italian restaurant Le Castagne (1920 Chestnut St., 215-751-9913, lecastagne.com )

"We have a lot compared to what other people have. " Lee Reinford says that that thought prompted him and his wife, Gail, to mount a feed-the-hungry program that now includes about 15 friends from the Upper Skippack Mennonite Church, near Souderton. The cooking was done at the Reinford home all day Christmas Eve. Individual platters were prepared, wrapped in foil and packed in a van. Then the volunteers headed for Philadelphia, where, Reinford said, they cruised the streets seeking people who looked as if they needed a hot meal.

Traditional Sunday afternoon coffee in the Purucker household in Bustleton takes on special meaning in December. On the four Sundays before Christmas, they light the candles of their Advent wreath. The Advent wreath, a tradition in German homes, is a circle of evergreen branches decorated with ribbons and four candles. On Sunday, the Puruckers lit three candles for the third Sunday of Advent, symbolizing the second-to-last Sunday before Christmas. As if the Puruckers needed to be reminded.

J ust in case you haven't had enough Christmas music so far this year, match the artist with the best-selling album. Answers: D3. 1. Susan Boyle. 2. Boyz II Men. 3. Mariah Carey. 4. Bing Crosby. 5. John Denver. 6. Celine Dion. 7. Kenny G. 8. Mannheim Steamroller. 9. Trans-Siberian Orchestra. 10. Vince Guaraldi Trio. a. A Charlie Brown Christmas . b. Christmas Eve and Other Stories . c. Christmas in the Air e. d. Christmas Interpretations . e. Faith: A Holiday Album . f. The Gift . g. Merry Christmas . h. Rocky Mountain Christmas . i. These Are Special Times . j. White Christmas .

A TRADITION continues. John Chaney, who has made many memorable Christmas Eve appearances on "Daily News Live," will be part of the festivities again on Monday from 5-6 p.m. It promises to be anything but boring. Neil Hartman will be the host, as always, along with staffers Dick Jerardi and Mike Kern, aka the digit and the midget. But there's no doubt who will be doing most of the talking. So tune in to catch a truly one-of-a-kind Philly institution put his spin on the holiday as only he can. - Mike Kern

Cedar Park Cafe was a pillar to those around 49th Street and Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia, with hearty, budget-priced breakfasts and lunches and cheery service. But a Christmas Eve fire forced it out of Cedar Park. Last month, it resurfaced with the same food and the same name in lovely, more spacious quarters near the Overbrook train station. Pay particular attention to the fluffy, veggie egg-white omelets ($6.95). - Michael Klein Cedar Park Cafe, 2035 N. 63d St., 267-292-2715.

When Marcelle Khawam recalls her childhood Christmases in the small seaport of Jounieh, in northern Lebanon, she sees gentle visions. There are little girls in dresses of burgundy velvet trimmed in gold. Food simmers through the night, filling the house with scents of spice. Men sip Turkish coffee, play backgammon and tell stories of Christmases past. All is in a hush. Marcelle's daughter, Caroline, 19, has similar recollections, but hers are more contemporary. A helicopter throbs loudly overhead and drops candy for the children.