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.