The Advent Calendar is among the many gifts of the Christmas season. Counting down the days between the beginning of Advent to Christmas, the calendar is a special way for children (and others!) to build the anticipation leading to Christmas, the timetable was first used by German Lutherans and is now a fixture in many Christian denominations, as well as those who embrace Christmas from a secular perspective.
These days the themes of Advent calendars are nearly limitless, ranging from sports to technology. Now familiar, these Christmas fixtures are formed with simple paper with flaps covering each of the 24 days leading to Christmas. More elaborate ones may include painted wooden boxes with “cubby holes,” with hidden treats inside each nook.
Inspired by the idea of an Advent calendar, I set about listing 25 of the most special aspects of enjoying the season in New York, arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world, festooned for the winter season. Here are some that I have selected:
- The Radio City Rockettes
- The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree
- Christmas tree sellers on virtually every corner
- Salvation Army bell ringers
- Carriage rides around Central Park
- Sak’s Fifth Avenue musical & light presentations
- Giant stars adorning the Shops at Time Warner Center/Columbus Circle
- Poinsettias and Christmas flowers in neighborhood bodegas
- Christmas craft booths around town (Columbus Circle, Bryant Park, and the like)
- Outstanding office decorations along Avenue of Americas (6th Avenue)
- Ice rinks in Central and Bryant Parks
- Holiday cocktails
- Trees with lights on Park Avenue
- SantaCon
- World’s biggest menorah at Grand Army Plaza
- Fabulous hotel decorations
- Throngs of tourists
- Proposals and elopements at Rockefeller tree
- Festive classic hotels
- Window displays on Fifth Avenue
- Mezzanine at Rockefeller Center
- Macy’s holiday decorations
- Numerous varieties of the Nutcracker
- Snowflakes hanging above 57th Street
- Tree at Metropolitan Art Museum
Enjoy some of the special treats captured in the video below!