Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’

A Unique Christmas In Manhattan

I was living in New York City in the Village with my very young daughter, newly divorced, alone, and quite broke. Christmas was going to be meager, or so I thought at the time, which was around 1970.

I barely had any friends in the city but around December, I met John and we quickly became friends. John was from England, kind of an offbeat free spirit and reminded me of the Beatles, who, at the time, were very popular, having recently visited New York. I would take walks and have long talks with John, who like me, seemed somewhat of a loner.

My most recent graphic design job had ended with a layoff, as had many advertising jobs around that time. Freelance graphics jobs were fewer and farther between. My financial situation required frugality, to say the least.

So Christmas Eve found me alone with my daughter, just glad to be with her. At some point there was a buzz at the door, and after buzzing back, and a bit of wait to see who it was (I lived in a 2nd floor walk up), John appeared, and with him a magnificent Scotch Pine, having dragged it through the streets of Manhattan, when some tree seller threw it out. We put it up and I had a tree, a friend and a Christmas filled with warmth and cheer, as well as spirit. I’ll never forget that Christmas, or John—who since then has enjoyed many Christmas’ with my daughter and I.

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The Feast of Saint Lucy

Christmas celebrations started early for me one year when I was living on the Upper East Side in New York City. It began on The Feast of Saint Lucy, a holiday celebrated by people of Scandinavian ancestry on December 13. One of my friends had a Swedish co-worker who had just immigrated to the USA. He was excited to help her celebrate her country’s special Christmas feast day for her first Christmas in America. I had never heard of this celebration before but, when I retired for the night on December 12th, I was about to find out about it in a quite surprising way.

It seems my friends bribed the friendly doorman to allow them and Saint Lucia into the elevator. They slipped quietly up to the seventeenth floor and knocked on my door at about 6 am. It was a workday but my alarm wasn’t set to go off until 8 am. Sleepily, and with great curiosity and just a bit of fear, I looked out through the front door’s peephole but couldn’t see anything but lights. I buzzed the doorman who assured me that someone was indeed at my door and that it would be perfectly fine for me to let them in. As I opened the door, a very tall, very blond goddess-looking woman wearing a white flowing robe, a crown of lit wax candles on her head and a lit candle in her hand entered. Softly singing Christmas carols, my two friends entered behind her, while I stared, shocked and in total disbelief.

One friend was carrying a tray of pastries and another was balancing a tray of liqueurs. My roommate was now awake and came into the foyer, her eyes wide and round in surprise. When Saint Lucy entered the living room they all put down their trays and candles, and explained that this was a Swedish tradition begun in the Eighteenth Century. It includes Lucy appearing in the morning and handing out cakes and candies. Celebrations for Lucia Day in Sweden apparently begin the night before, which is obviously when my friends had begun, and continues until the next morning, which is what they were now doing at my apartment to help their Swedish friend celebrate her first Christmas in the United States.

After the grand entrance and much needed explanation, we sat, ate the special buns, drank a toast to Saint Lucia with some kind of (very strong) Swedish liqueur, and laughed until we cried. Unfortunately, I then had to get dressed and go to work, which was fine except that I was tired and just a bit tipsy, however, I was happy and it was a nice tired and a nice tipsy.

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Shopping in the Dark

My most unforgettable and craziest shopping memory in New York City took place on a cool November evening in 1965. I had just left work in the garment district of the city and was feeling very proud of myself because my plan was to start my Christmas shopping early for once in my life. I walked a few blocks to the Gimbels Department Store that was located on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Thirty Third Street. Gimbels was Macy s biggest competitor in those days and their sales were legendary, especially their famous basement bargains.

As soon as I headed into the main floor, which was already crowded with evening shoppers, I took the escalator up to the ladies lingerie department where I intended to purchase some sleepwear for my best friend. The saleslady, as they were called back then, was not very helpful and after showing me one or two lacy nightgowns that had been displayed in a glass showcase, I realized that these were not quite the sleepwear I had in mind. Turning around to leave, I decided to take the elevator back down to the main floor instead of riding the escalator. This turned out to be a momentous decision.

When we reached the street level, the elevator operator opened the doors and announced the main floor (yes, they had human operators, no push buttons, in those days). As I stepped out, the lights went out and the entire building was enveloped in total blackness. I heard people calling for help because some riders on the escalator had fallen when it jerked to a stop as the power failed. I didn’t know it at the time but the entire Northeast area of the United States and a great deal of Canada had been blacked out. It became known as the Great Northeast Blackout of 1965.

It took a little while before the store personnel gathered their resources and flashlights to help us customers get our bearings. Finally, they began to escort us to the outside doors. For an instant I hoped that the store would let us spend the night in their bedding department, since there was no transport available. I thought that my walk home to Seventy Second Street and First Avenue might be fraught with danger, what with looting, rioting, etc. Amazingly, there was very little crime that night.
The worst part of my shopping experience, besides not having bought any Christmas presents, was the walk up seventeen flights of stairs after walking home.

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One if by Land

After 8 years of working for the same company, it has become a tradition for my boss to take our group to a very special place for Christmas which embodies the true spirit of Christmas.  One time the location he chose was one of the oldest restaurants in New York City located in the Greenwich Village which is a perfect representation of the city’s tradition, history and beauty: “One if by Land, Two if by Sea”.

We walked inside from the typical frosty and cold New York City December night and immediately felt the warmth radiating this amazing place from all sides.  The piano in the corner was sending sweet musical waves throughout the restaurant of Christmas classics, complemented by the harmonic accompaniment of a horn player.  The decorations were simply breathtaking with a real life-sized Christmas tree in the middle of the dining area, elegantly decorated and complimented by the ornaments strategically placed in all directions.  The low orange lighting perfected the mood and overall ambiance of the bar where we ordered the most delicious champagne I have ever tasted. We cheered to yet another brilliant year together and to the beauty of life and the holidays.  As a native New Yorker, I feel confident in stating that it was truly the most memorable New York City Christmas experience of my life.

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My First NYC Christmas (3 Days Before My Wedding!)

I’ve lived in NYC for a few years, but had typically left for the holidays and spent it with family elsewhere. However, for Christmas 2009, I was engaged! As it was, our wedding date was to be the 28th of December, so my parents just decided to come a few days early so they could spend Christmas Day with my soon-to-be husband and me. My other roommates left the City for the holidays, so everything worked out to be a perfect family Christmas morning.
My favorite part of Christmas is wrapping presents, so it was great fun being crammed into my small apartment and trying to wrap and hide gifts from each other. My parents brought me my childhood stocking and also brought theirs for this Christmas away from home. They also brought me a few of my favorite childhood ornaments. As is typical, NYC apartments are tiny little things and so it was hard to fit a Christmas tree. Instead, we put some red roses in a vase, placed this on a small coffee/end table, and hung some ornaments the best we could! Christmas morning was wonderful. We were all in our pajamas and having my fiance there was an amazing feeling. Not only that, but it was my first Christmas in New York City! The gifts were extra special because my parents purchased gifts for my fiance and I as a couple which was new for all of us. Also because the gifts from my guy had more thought than usual put into them. We spent the rest of the day cuddled up, drinking hot cocoa, and watching a movie that I received that morning. Although it wasn’t a typical NYC-movie Christmas, it was a perfect first NYC Christmas for me.

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Christmas in New York and John Lennon

I was away at college when I heard John Lennon was shot and killed in New York. On Christmas break my girlfriend and I went back to New York City, where I had grown up – we were doing the “we’re serious now, so I guess we have to meet the parents” routine. We flew into New York and checked in at my mom’s house. Of course, we had to go to Sheeps Meadow (now renamed Strawberry Fields Forever) for the memorial service for John…I remember it being cold and blustery – I remember snow…Teresa doesn’t. Acres and acres of grass, but not a place was empty. People crying, wiping eyes, hugging strangers. I remember everyone arm in arm, moving in time to an unspoken rhythm, singing along…then being silent. In 18 years of growing up in New York, I don’t think I ever heard a silence like that. The helicopter overhead lent an eerie “wupa wupa wupa” to the whole thing. I remember Yoko speaking, but I can’t remember if there were any other speakers – it seems more powerful that way so maybe I just remembered it like that. It was truly an “only in New York” moment.

I have a 10 year old son and we’ve done the traditional New York Christmas things – the tree in Rockefeller Center, seeing the Empire State Building lit up in red and green, FAO Schwartz (of course!), the carriage rides around Central Park. But I truly wish I could transport him back to the day when New York came out to remember John Lennon – the man and the music – to show him just how special New York City is. That is my New York City Christmas memory.

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Christmas Princess

Christmas 1965 in New York City, where I lived, was snappy cold and with snow-covered streets.  The prestigious Fifth Avenue department store I worked in was an ice palace of crystal decorations covering the ceilings from one end to the other.
Despite the beauty of my surroundings, on Christmas Eve I was feeling gloomy.  The store was open late as usual and I was at my desk in the office where I was preparing to close up and go home.  Recently divorced, I was heading to my parents home out of town and knew I would be late. Little did I know, just how late I would be!
Heading down the escalator, I felt a tap on my shoulder, turned around and there stood the man I had been dating, who happened to be an executive.  My gloom stemmed from the fact that I assumed he had forgotten about me and, with Christmas season being so busy, had not even remembered me with a small token. He smiled and took my arm, leading me around and back up the escalator.  Protesting that the store was closing, I was told that this night it would be open  just a little longer, just for me!  Yes, the doors were closed but the lights were still on.  We were the only ones there besides security and the manager of the ladies wear floor. My friend waved his arm and said  Pick what you want.  Merry Christmas!   My jaw dropped open as he and I wended our way through the beautiful fashions.  I picked a red suit with black onyx buttons.  As we headed down the escalator with the crystal-covered main floor spread below us with no one in it, I really felt like a princess.  It was a most memorable Christmas.

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Rockefeller Square at Christmas

It’s almost a cliché to go to Rockefeller Square on Christmas. But we were in New York over the holiday, and when we looked for a nice place to have dinner that wasn’t too pricey, the Rock Center Café was about the only place still taking reservations on the 24th. We had never been there before, and we were willing to give it a try.

The Rock Center Café is below street level — in fact, it’s right beside the famous skating rink. And to our great surprise, the hostess led us straight to a table only a few inches from the windows looking out onto the ice. The meal was delicious, and the service was excellent. But we hardly paid attention to that; we were captivated by an older man, tall and lithe, in a long trench coat and a silk scarf, skating back and forth near our window. He wore headphones, and was clearly in his own world. But his skating was impeccable. His long, smooth strides and graceful turns showed he was no amateur. Dinner and a show. For us, it was one of those uniquely New York City moments. Great food on a special occasion, hordes of people around — and then this little show, this little bit of unexpected humanity in the middle of it. It made for an unforgettable Christmas dinner in NYC.

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Best Christmas Ever

I have been living in New York City since the last fifteen years but the Christmas of 2006 was easily the best Christmas I have ever celebrated in my life so far. My sister and my brother-in-law also live in NYC; hence, I decided to celebrate with them.
We decorated the entire house with ribbons and balloons. We bought a giant “Santa Clause” and a massive Christmas tree for the house. A reindeer was placed outside the gate of the apartment so that the guests could get a glimpse of it as soon as they entered the house. We had invited nearly twenty-five guests, mostly friends, for the occasion.
I and my sister had ourselves prepared a large Christmas cake for the guests. Wine and champagne flowed throughout the course of the party. The entire apartment was brilliantly illuminated by lights set up by my brother-in-law. We roasted turkeys out on the lawn, along with a lot of starters, which were all deliciously prepared. I received a brand new BlackBerry phone from my sister and was totally delighted.
Just when the clock struck 12 midnight, we took out our cars and motorcycles for a drive across the New York City. The entire city was beautifully decorated and the city lights were simply outstanding. On the whole, we had loads of fun and it was the most memorable Christmas of my life.

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Christmas with My Sister

My older sister and I have not lived in the same state for over a decade, and even though we’re close, we rarely get to see each other.  A few years, out of the blue, she said that she was going to come visit me in New York for Christmas.  At the time she lived in Washington D.C., so she took a train from there to come see me.

She and I had the best time while she visited.  We spent a week in the city visiting everything from the giant Toys R Us to Macy’s.  Knowing I was completely broke at the time, she paid for me to go see the Lion King and Handle’s Messiah.  I never get to see shows, so it was a real treat.  We also went to the Gotham comedy club where I got to see some of my favorite comedians.

That Christmas meant so much to me, and since then we have continued the tradition of sharing Christmas together.  Things have changed, and now she has three beautiful children, and this year I get to go visit her in Nebraska.  Sure, Christmas in New York is magical, but it doesn’t matter where we are, as long as we re together for Christmas.

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