New York Christmas Traditions

With the season of Christmas soon upon us, or upon us now depending on your
outlook; it may be time to look back on the mid-twentieth century and remember

some very New York Christmas traditions.

          1. Christmas Tree and Christmas wreath pressed butter cookies made from scratch and placed in tins to bring to friends and family as Christmas gifts.  Some were
 reserved to be served to friends and children who came to see your tree.

2. Candy canes on the tree served three purposes.  They were nice decorations; they were given to children who stopped by to see your tree, and finally used as handy "swizzle sticks" in cups of steaming hot chocolate.

3. Hot chocolate at every neighbors' house or apartment.  Children were greeted with candy canes and cups of hot chocolate topped off with a small mountain of fresh whipped cream dusted with Christmas colored sugars of red and green...as a special treat, the above mentioned peppermint candy cane was inserted to use as a whipped cream scoop and flavorful stirrer.

4. Visiting nearby churches to see their crèches was always a treat; 

going to various churches around the 'hood to see who had the best decorations was a communal adventure.  Regina Pacis in Bensonhurst was always a contender.  And a trip into the "city" aka Manhattan, always meant a double stop at Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Cathedral...and St Pat's display oftimes came pretty close to the one in Bensonhurst. Often close, but no cigar.

But my favorite Brooklyn crèche story revolves around a life sized manger scene that resided at Glenwood Road and East 36th Street near the B-6 bus stop. As was the local tradition, the three magi were not standing at the manger on Christmas Eve. They were S-L-O-W-L-Y moved day by day until their arrival on the Feast of the Epiphany.  But one year the three wise guys took a different turn.  With scarves, hats, and shawls wrapped around their plywood bodies, and package-laden Macy's bags hung over their outstretched arms that ostensibly held myrrh, frankincense and gold, these wandering monarchs stood stoically at the local bus stop as bus after bus after bus stopped by to pick up what appeared to be three hapless women struggling with gifts for errant kith and kin.  This was the last year for the life-sized troupe. Soon they were unceremoniously retired after a scathing sermon about the sanctity of the season from the pulpit of the sponsoring church.

               5. And speaking of Bensonhurst, the holidays were never complete without a trip

to view the monster-holiday house lights in Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst. My own

neighborhood of East Flatbush was downright sedate compared to these dueling neighboring 'hoods.  I think Con Ed, our local electric power

company, made the bulk of its profits in the weeks heading up to and the twelve

days following Christmas.

6. And the well dressed matron would never think of leaving her home without her Christmas corsage of satin ribbons, glittering greens and a few small shining mini-Christmas ornaments.  These were loving placed at the crèche of choice during the requisite church tour.  Their accumulation at the mini-stable was the deciding factor in which congregation had done the best job and would wear the crèche crown until the next Christmas season.

7. And Christmas lasted for twelve whole days after the Eve.  And we celebrated, and we visited folks near and far, and we really enjoyed ourselves.


8. And we sang: lovely seasonal carols at church and in the choir at school, Girl Scouts and Boy scouts caroled in the neighborhood visiting invalids and ending at someone's home for the cookies and candy canes and hot chocolate mentioned above.  And if we were lucky, it snowed!



These traditions seem quaint in this time, but perhaps we need to look back and simplify our holiday lives and remember why we are celebrating this lovely time of year. This special time in which we welcome the Word made Flesh, the Light into the world, is a sweet time. Let's get some of that  sweetness back into our celebrations.