It´s been quite a topic all over the social media for years – is “Christmas spirit” a cliche leading us toward ruinous expenses or is it the synonym of love, joy, traditions and happy moments with our loved ones. I guess, here in New York, the commercialization is bigger than anywhere – but is there still this “Christmas magic” around?
Christmas in New York
For me, definitely YES. Christmas magic is everything!
And to start with, I don´t particularly enjoy crowded places or big cities. So normally, I always try to travel in the off season. But at the same time, to see all the Christmas decorations and shows in NYC – it´s been on my travel bucket list forever. I knew one day I´d end up visiting the city in search of some Christmas inspiration.
So, Christmas New York from the epic Home Alone 2 – how does it feel in real life?
New York over the Winter Holidays
If you plan a first visit to the Big Apple and count on doing some occasional sightseeing – December is one of the worst months to do so. In between multiple tourists and locals, preparing for the holiday season, you won´t be able to do much, simply because of the lines.
To be honest, all the decorations in NYC were extremely beautiful. Nevertheless, the city was flooded with tourists coming to check out the infamous Rockefeller tree, magical window displays, light shows, and ice skating rinks. Walking around there was a nightmare. New York is always a busy city (during the fall season in the Big Apple as well), but with Christmas around the corner it was at its peak with tourists coming to visit!
Although, on the other hand, if you don’t mind the hype and really enjoy the Christmas atmosphere, we could agree on one thing here – NYC is “the place to be” over the winter holidays.
Christmas spirit in NYC
Who’s not dreaming to live a White Christmas over the winter holidays? Despite the cold weather in NYC, I was not lucky enough to spot the snow in Central Park. I’ve really counted on this Home Alone 2 kind of NYC experience.
Nevertheless, I can assure you that New York during a holiday season is something worth experiencing (even without stepping onto a snow blank). Everything is colorful and jolly. Stores have bright lights and sparkly decorations. Hot chocolate warms the soul and Christmas is the best season for it, right?!
Ice Skating looks like so much fun and most of us secretly wish to join all the happy faces out there on the rink (even the most uncoordinated ones of us [lol] but who cares?! it´s about having fun and spreading the cheer).
Santas are strolling down the 5th Avenue, and some of them are even singing Christmas carols – Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, Deck The Halls and many others that we hum to during the holiday season. (Check my Christmas Playlist here)
Christmas in New York vs. Christmas in Europe
If you have been following my blog for a while – you already know that I´m also a big fan of the European Christmas markets. In these recent years, visiting a new one every holiday season has become my personal December tradition. This year was a miss though – we headed to the States instead. But I do not regret it for a second, cause New York ´s Christmas spirit is hard to beat. All the commercialization is still there, but I personally even don´t think about it when it´s so beautiful outside. Do you?
I Love Christmas
Christmas always gives me a chance to feel myself a little girl again while looking forward to unwrapping gifts and enjoying some time with family and friends. Christmas is absolutely a time to gather and remember how lucky we are to have people who love us around.
Christmas carols and lights remind me of all the happy moments: decorating the tree, baking gingerbread cookies, family gatherings with a lot of food (an important attribute for me lol), opening presents, watching movies, smiling & laughing a lot.
For me, Christmas is a great excuse to do the things I love, but never have enough time for… ok, even buy things, I’d never buy normally, and eating stuff I´d never have had otherwise. And yes, dear Christmas industry – you can take an advantage of me as much as you wish, as long as I´m the one enjoying every moment of this holiday to the fullest.
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This post is linked up with The Weekly Postcard
Although it’s very commercial, I would love to spend a Christmas in New York. I am sure the atmosphere must be great. #TheWeeklyPostcard
It´s definitely one of the most “christmassy” places for the holiday season !
I love Christmas in New York and though I am not a fan of crowds, I don’t mind it because it gets me in the spirit.
So true, this Christmas spirit is so worth experiencing!
I love all the Christmas stuff in NYC but agree the crowds are a bit much. I usually try to do the Christmas stuff first thing Sat or Sun more. It really makes a big difference. Looking forward to hearing about your favorite Christmas markets next week. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
Thanks for stopping by, Anisa! First thing in the morning is probably, the only thing you could possibly do to avoid the madness…
So magical! I’ve visited NYC only in warmer months. I would love to go for the holiday lights and festivities!
NYC is amazing every season, but I guess autumn and Christmas are my two favorites!
I’ve always dreamed to visit New York around Christmas time, but I really resent the crowds. It’s not necessarily the crowds in the city, but all over the place, starting with the airport, roads, stores, etc. If I lived there, it would be different, but having to cross the continent to go there and be faced with the prospect of disappointment, keeps me home at Christmas. #TheWeeklyPostcard
It´s so true about the crowds… for me, coming from Europe, all these airport controls are quite annoying in the off season, but over Christmas it was a blast – I genuinely want to forget this part of my trip … lol
NYC is my dream destination and visiting it at Christmas time seems like an awesome idea, Anna. How many days would you recommend staying in NYC to see all the highlights?
We were there for a week and did´t manage to see everything we had planned! Also due to the holidays… NYC is one of these places you could live forever and not visit it all anyway. But, I guess from 3 to 7 days is great to explore the main sites.