new york christmas lights

It was so exciting to be in New York just before Christmas. The city is so full of energy, excitement and people. So many people working, shopping, sightseeing... coming into the city to see the lights. It's a different cultural experience too. Shops often display menorah as well as Christmas trees. There is a real sensitivity to cultural and religious differences. No one assumes that you will be celebrating Christmas and you're more likely to hear "Happy Holidays" than "Merry Christmas!"

First I had to check out Macy's. I loved their whole "believe" campaign for Christmas. They have the most beautiful lights decorating the outside of their flagship store and gloriously decorated windows with moving displays that tell Christmas stories. Embracing the "believe" slogan I entered the store. I did some pretty good Christmas shopping in there but it was crazy busy... with the emphasis on crazy. While it's chilly outside, they ramp up the heating inside. Short of walking around in my underwear I found it quite stifling. The jostling crowds of Christmas shoppers and sauna like atmosphere had a trying effect on everyone. I saw families on the edge of Christmas shopping meltdown. A few snippets of overheard conversations.... "It's too hot in here!" "I can't stand it!" "Buy your own presents!" "I'm getting out of here!" As I came up the escalator to yet another floor decked out for the holidays and teaming with people, I saw a sign that I thought said "Holiday Hell." It actually said Holiday Halls. Phew! I knew it was time to get out of there! "Believe!!" Bah humbug!! Just kidding. I still do like the whole "believe" theme but maybe not in that overheated commercial setting.

I moved on to Anthropologie - a totally different shopping experience. The Anthropologie stores are my favourite in the US. All of them are styled differently by artists, designers and crafts people. They have a strong artistic aesthetic that is quite breathtaking. Even though they can still be busy, they have a totally different atmosphere to Macy's. More peaceful! I spent hours in each shop taking in the sculptural displays, windows and out of this world styling. So creative, so beautiful, so clever. This is just one of the windows from the Rockefeller Plaza store. Everything in the window is handcrafted, sewn , knit, constructed, collaged, painted or drawn. 

Then over the road to the Rockefeller Centre. I have never been in a crowd like the one gathered there. So many people come from all over the US (and the world) to see the biggest Christmas tree ever!! It's actually from someone's yard. Each year they scour the countryside to find a suitable tree and the person is honoured to have it displayed at the Rockefeller Centre. They must have had some truck to transport it. It is enormous!!! There's a skating rink that is here just for the holiday season. The queues are huge to see the tree, to skate and the crowd is wall to wall people. Taking advantage of my small stature, I managed to wriggle my way through the crowd to the edge of the skating rink. Even with the crowd it's still magical!

Sorry this photo is blurry. I was being crushed by the crowds on all sides!! Check out the couple in the middle (with the girl in the white hat and jacket). Here is a magic New York moment. People were going "He's got a ring! He's got a ring!" and he did have one. He asked, she said yes, then they kissed and kissed and kissed...... Oooooh! Sigh! So romantic!

I moved on from the Rockefeller Centre to Times Square. It's neon, lights, people, bustle.... it's action 24/7, any time of the day or night, any time of the year. Even the NYPD have neon!

Bryant Park also has a skating rink. You might know it as it's alter ego - host to New York Fashion Week. At the time I thought Bryant Park, that sounds familiar.... I only clicked to the Fashion Week connection later in my trip (thanks Beth!). After all those seasons of watching Project Runway I should have been a bit quicker on the uptake!! Tim Gunn would be ashamed of me!

Washington Square was great contrast to the rest of the city.... tranquil, peaceful and quietly spectacular.... a lovely oasis in the midst of the busyness.

New York is a special lady who dresses up for Christmas with so many accessories, jewels, decorations.... sparkling with lights, lights and more lights. It seems that you can never have enough lights! 

So this is a little taste of New York in her Christmas finery. She's breathtaking, mind blowing and completely overwhelming.... and I wouldn't have missed seeing it for the world!!

glow

On the Sunday before Christmas St Paul's hosted carols by glowstick at the Vector Arena. It was a pretty ambitious undertaking that involved a lot of hard work for everyone involved. I invited family and friends to come with me and as we arrived at the Vector Arena I had feelings of excitement mixed with apprehension. Last year I didn't last the whole carol service at the cathedral as I was overwhelmed with grief during the singing. I used to love all the aspects of Christmas celebrations and services, fully engaging in the celebration of Jesus' birth..... but now all of those things are overshadowed by the events and feelings of grief as each anniversary of John - my husband's death on Christmas Eve rolls round. So carols by glowstick was something new that I hadn't experienced before and I was hoping that as it was a new experience it would not be tainted by grief....



As everyone poured into Vector, got their glowsticks and took their seats, there was a buzz in the air. The excitement was palpable as Vector was plunged into darkness and we broke our glowsticks together at the countdown. I have to confess that we broke our glowsticks well before this as we couldn't wait to start waving them around.





From start to finish it was fun. Everyone from little kids to adults enjoyed the sense of joy and celebration. As we sung, waved our glowsticks, listened, watched, there was a real sense of God being in the midst of us, enjoying it with us. So for the first time in five years, I fully engaged in a Christmas service, without any sense of grief or loss.... just a real sense of love, celebration and the freedom to fully enjoy, worship and praise God for who he is and what he's done, especially for me over the last five years. Thanks St Paul's for giving me my Christmas back and thanks to God for his amazing love. I wouldn't be where I am today without it!





Thanks to Kevin Robinson for the great photographic images.

Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cak15UPnbuw to see Steve Thompson and Kurt Bradley's timelapse film of glow. Love the mexican wave!

This is the link for the film "when god was born" that was shown at glow. Love it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSGNJnAGCOc

christmas lights

Last Sunday Beth and I went to Ponsonby Rd to check out the Telecom Christmas tree. It has been advertised with much hype, so I was a little sceptical about how amazing it would be. As we walked up to it I was struck by the variety of people there. Couples sitting on bean bags, eating dinner , drinking wine and enjoying the tree from the outside.... families with young kids running round excitedly.... people queueing up at the old school red telephone boxes to place gift requests with Santa.... adults, young people, children, babies, dogs.... lying on bean bags under the tree.

Beth and I took our places, lying on the beanbags, looking up into the tree. That's when it really came alive! The lights change colours, twinkling, moving.... then the star unfolds, it's points of light creating a starry halo at the top of the tree. It really is magical. We spent a lot of time lying back, taking photos and enjoying the experience. At one point the lights all came on in full and there was an audible "wow" from the crowd.

Before we left I joined the queue and rang Santa. I put in a quick request for world peace, a new man and a fine Christmas Day. I'll keep you posted on how that all pans out!

Then Mikey and Bunny joined us and we headed off down Franklin Rd. So many people - looking, talking, laughing.... There was such a great feeling of goodwill. It seems Christmas lights bring out the best in everybody! Bunny loved the crowds. She really is a "people" dog.

The lights were amazing. People have gone all out to create a spectacular light show in their own front yards. So colourful, so over the top! My favourites were the quiet, understated creamy clusters of light flowers and the colourful paper lanterns hanging in the verandas of a beautiful two storey villa. I like the less is more/make a simple but beautiful statement approach to Christmas lighting.

What a lovely night. It left us with a warm glow, feeling that all is good with the world. Thanks Telecom and Franklin Rd!