Watching Midtown Prep for Christmas
Contrary to popular thought, Santa Claus does not arrive in New York City right at the tail end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
He's totally already here.
Come November 1, most of Midtown says, "Halloween, huh? Thanksgiving, who? We're all Christmas, all the time, folks." Case in point: the hauling of the Rockefeller Center Tree smack dab into the middle of things just a few days ago. I went down around 9:30am on Friday to catch some shots of the store windows that just went up for the Real Simple Pop-Up Shop (read my post on that here), and unexpectedly ran into the installation of the giant Norway spruce itself.
Now, I've been here ten years, have worked just a few blocks from the center of Rock Center for at least seven, and for some reason, this was the first time I ever witnessed the tree being put in its place. It was a very cool sight, to be sure--that thing is mega. More interesting, though, is how all of the areas just around the tree are suddenly Santa-fied. Lights are up! Trees are sparkling! Rockettes are kicking! Ice skates are on! Tourists sport fuzzy red-and-white hats!
And I get it. Christmas and all the winter holidays are fun and memorable and cool and sexy (you know, in a Christmas way). But friends, I'm feeling a little for Thanksgiving right now. It seems like we rush to celebrate Christmas quicker and quicker each year, and Turkey Day--a holiday devoted being thankful and to EATING THE BEST FOOD EVER--is getting overlooked a bit.
So whatever. I'm supporting T'giving this 2010 by eating an extra helping of everything: the turkey, the honey-baked ham, my grandma's dressing, my sister-in-law's squash casserole. My mom's red-velvet cake. And also her coconut cake. And her carrot cake. And her pecan pie. And I'm not saving any for Santa on Christmas Eve.
That'll show 'em. Ho! Ho! Hiccup.
New York City, Photos | tagged Thanksgiving dissed? | Email Article | Share Article | Permalink | 6 Comments
Reader Comments (6)
I thought this was only an American and UK phenomenon - setting up Christmas before you've even had the chance to enjoy Halloween or Thanksgiving - but Paris is no different! At the tail end of October, the supermarkets started putting up their xmas displays and decorations, the famous department store Galeries Lafayette is already decked out in twinkle lights and the Champs Elysees is reportedly sporting its traditional garb - all before the leaves have even fully fallen off the trees! I feel your pain.
I'm gonna need you to eat another piece of your mom's red velvet cake though, just for me. Since, you know, I'm left out of all that Thanksgiving revelry :(
Lindsey, for you, I can do that. I can totally, totally do that.
Prometheus weeps. Wouldn't you if someone put a titanic tree up your ass every year since the Depression?
Guess I had better start baking today. My favorite time of the year is when I have the family together and I can prepare all the goodies. Coconut cake for Christmas.
Mom
I'm going to have extra helpings of pie as well in an order to rectify this atrocity!
Hi Amy,
I agree - I am going to eat more Thanksgiving food too! What fun cakes your mom makes for Thanksgiving... in my family and in Bob's family we really only eat pie for Thanksgiving. We have pumpkin, pecan, and either apple or cherry. Anyway, coconut cake and red velvet sound fun - enjoy!