Christmaswatch ‘07

In this city of cities, Christmastime (or, the “holiday season” to be religiously encompassing) is taken very seriously. If I had time to put my old reporter hat on, I’d dig around and see just what this period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s means for the Big Apple in economic terms. I’m sure it’s huge, when you include the dollars spent by people gift shopping, going to Broadway shows, and coming to town to see sights such as Rockefeller Center and the department store windows.

So it’s not surprising that New York is already undergoing a rapid transformation from its dingy, late-fall look to the magical, sparkle-lighted, red-bow-festooned appearance that tourists expect. Indications could be seen as early as the week of Halloween, when CVS and Duane Reade stores across the city changed out candy corn for candy canes. But only now does the NYC Christmas juggernaut really begin to roll.

Evidence from my corner of the world: (now with pictures!*)

Exhibit A: Two sidewalk tree lots have sprung up since the weekend just on my walk from the subway to work. I do love the smell of conifers in the city, although I feel bad for the poor guys who have to sit there in the cold all day and night for the next month. The exorbitant Manhattan tree prices make me feel less bad. The news this morning showed a $600 Frasier fir. Honestly!

Exhibit B: Sometime over the weekend little Saatchi & Saatchi elves erected a gigantic (fake) Christmas tree in the lobby of the Penguin building, and hoisted correspondingly huge, matching wreaths around the elevator bank. No sign yet of a menorah, but as I recall, last year they did place a tiny one on the corner of our absurdly large security desk in the lobby as it got closer to Chanukah. How kind, especially considering that at my imprint alone we’re about evenly split between readers of the Tanakh and readers of the New Testament. (Although really, there’s more reading of Nora Roberts going on than of either of those.)

I will keep my eyes peeled for other obvious and/or quirky signs of the holidays around town. For myself, I’m waiting until at least December 1 before I put up any decorations. We’ve got to hold the line on this or soon we’ll be subjected to Christmas jingles in August. No thank you.

* I hesitated to take pictures of our lobby for fear I would be tackled by one of our brawny, black-suited security guards. Those guys look mean and I'm sure they're itching for a terrorism scare. But I said I'd do it if it would increase your viewing and reading pleasure, so voila!.