Results tagged “holiday”

       

Last week the new Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrived at 30 Rock after being torn from its roots in Easton, Connecticut. It will now have until December 2nd to be adorned with lights (last year folks were not impressed by the energy-efficient LED lights), before being plugged in for holiday revelers to enjoy. Here's some history on the tree tradition, which started about 77 years ago — and a look back at trees of the past (in 1938 there were two!).

If it's November, it's time to start dreading the Holiday tipping ritual. How much do you give the super or the doorman or—no joke—the sanitation worker? Well, if you're the board of directors at a tony co-op, the solution is simple: Nothing. A thread on the Urban Baby message board has sparked a vigorous debate about noblesse oblige during a recession, beginning thus:

SANTA CLAUS CAME EARLY!!! Just got a notice from our co-op board: "In response to past complaints about favoritism, and in light of the current recession that has dealt a significant blow to many of our shareholders, the board of directors of (XYZ Building) has implemented a strict "no tipping" policy for the building staff." THANK YOU SANTA!!!

Halloween is almost upon us! Are you so excited about your slutty whatever costume? If you don't have plans yet, our picks are in our weekend newsletter, and the Daily News has some tips for tots on where to Trick or Treat — noting that city kids often get ripped off when it comes to procuring Halloween candy.

It's not even Halloween yet and Christmas has already popped up on Court Street in Brooklyn! Pardon Me For Asking has photos of the festive decor, have you seen any more around? Send us your photos of any over-the-top or way-too-early holiday decorations. We haven't spotted nearly enough haunted houses this year.

According to City Room, the city’s gift program that has been distributing small, personal items, including scarves, backpacks and watches, to the needy since 2002 is feeling the recession pressure. The program has been known to spend about thousands on gifts for single men and women in shelters, including $25,000 buying more than 6,500 watches.

Today is Columbus Day, and since it's a federal, state and local holiday, there are many closings. Public schools and public offices are closed. There is no mail delivery, but the James Farley Post Office at Eighth Avenue and West 33rd Street is open. There's no garbage or recycling pick up or street cleaning. On the other side, the stock market is open, the MTA is running service on a weekday schedule, and many people are expected to work today.

Today is the first day of Kwanzaa, a weeklong celebration running through January 1 that observes seven principles and African traditions. Newsday has information on some events, including the American Museum of Natural History's Kwanzaa Fest! that we mentioned earlier. CityRoom's Sewell Chan writes about Kwanzaa's history in the city and adds, "As a child growing up in Queens, I remember attending Kwanzaa celebrations at the American Museum of Natural History with relatives and friends who, like me, were Chinese-American. The holiday seemed fun and inclusive (and, I admit, a bit exotic), and I eagerly committed to memory the Nguzo Saba, or seven principles, of Kwanzaa: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity) and imani (faith)."

    

There is actually quite a lot out there for tourists and locals seeking diversion in New York City today. Many Broadway shows are still performing, though at different times than usual, and TKTS in Times Square will be selling discounted theater tickets from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (The Brooklyn and South Street Seaport locations are closed.) There are also a couple performances of The Big Apple Circus scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. And the Radio City Christmas Spectacular isn't about to let a national holiday get those gams down; there are three performances today at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The Times takes a look at a tradition followed by the city's 45 marshals, who take a break from evicting tenants for two weeks every year around the holidays. The unofficial "eviction moratorium" isn't sanctioned by the city, and the marshals insist it has more to do with year-end paperwork than any Christmas spirit. But one marshal, 31-year veteran Danny Weinheim, admits to having a bit of a heart: "Could you go into an apartment with a Christmas tree and evict everybody and be Scrooge? I wouldn’t do that. It’s Christmas Eve. I’m Jewish, but it’s still Christmas Eve." The article also gives an insightful peek at the makeup of the city's marshals: two have Ph.D.’s, one was an exterminator, and another was a haberdasher before taking up one of the most hated occupations. And one unnamed marshal will be breaking ranks and carrying out evictions this week (it's said he has a heart two sizes too small).

Last night Top Chef celebrated the holiday season, and even though the episode was filmed sometime in July (check out the cheftestants summertime gear)—Christmas miracles were abound! Or at least forced down viewer's throats like Sous-Vide Duck with avocado foam.

[UPDATE BELOW] A reader sent us this photo, taken by a friend, of a special edition Starbucks menorah cup, which supposedly contained the chain's "Hanukkah Blend." This individual claims he bought it at an unspecified location on the Upper West Side, where the barista told him "we're serving it at Starbucks in Jewish neighborhoods for the next two weeks."

Tradition dictates that holiday variety shows be structured around a loose plotline of impending doom; Christmas is about to be canceled, Santa's under indictment, a rabid bear is mauling Elvis Costello. In A Murray Little Christmas, the rollicking and ribald burlesque comedy show now packing them in at The Zipper Factory, Xmas '08 is critically endangered by the multi-headed hydra of recession, Proposition 8, and, naturally, gentrification. Oh, also, there wasn't room in the production budget to install a working chimney in the "illegal gingerbread squatting apartment" that serves as the set, so there's no way for Santa to make his grand entrance.

     

Need a little country in your city this holiday season? There are plenty of historic sites in the Historic House Trust's collection that have been festively decorated and are hosting a series of events through January 10th. "From trolley tours in Staten Island and Queens to concerts and candlelight tours to Nutcracker-themed decorations and visits from Saint Nick," the 13 houses span the 5 boroughs. More details here, and coming up this Saturday you can catch a Candlelight Tour at the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum in the Bronx.

It's that time of year again when everybody's looking for a handout, and those of us with means are expected to dole out extra cash to the help as thanks for simply doing their jobs. And just because this sucker's going down, that doesn't mean you're off the hook when it comes to holiday tipping, or so says the rich liberal elitist media. Despite citing surveys that at least 30% of respondents plan on tipping less (or zilch) because of the recession, the latte sippers at WABC insist "you've got to do your best to give something, particularly cash."

Did you hear? The office party's been cut from the budget, according to a poll by FreshDirect & BizBash. This means that drunken coworker makeout, drunken coworker karaoke, and drunken telling your boss off will also be down to an all time low. Just how low? More than 65% of New York businesses are eliminating or scaling back on holiday parties this year, according to the survey of more than 200 event professionals in New York City. Of course, FreshDirect also has a solution to the problem: use their "At The Office" service to cut down on costs and party it up in your cubicles! Last month a catering company told ABC News that the drop-off in business is the worst it's been since post-9/11 2001. Oh well, take a break and watch a clip from The Office's season 3 Christmas special.

While most retailers are worried that Black Friday will leave them deep in the red, Christmas tree sellers are now sounding sanguine, with a perfectly objective source at the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association telling the Post, "In times like these, it's natural to fall back on events that are comfortable, like traditional holiday celebrations." Adding to the optimism is the fact that lower gas costs will mean cheaper trees than last year. And then there's the green angle; one forestry professor opines: "Purchasing a real Christmas tree is a great way to make a positive impact on the environment." Of course, trees are great for the environment when they're alive, so many environmentalists recommend buying a living tree. Which doesn't really fly in New York, since most of us don't have a place to plant them. So here are details on the city's annual MulchFest.

The Nassau County police were busy between 9 p.m. Wednesday night and 9 a.m. Thursday morning: Newsday reports that cops arrested 35 suspected drunk drivers (on the average night they only arrest 8 or 9 people!). According to Newsday, "With family parties, college students home from school and general holiday merriment, authorities call Thanksgiving weekend among the year's busiest for boozing." Also in Suffolk County, two bars served alcohol to an underage police volunteer, so the bartenders were ticketed (Suffolk cops found most other bars wouldn't even let the volunteer in).

Those blissed-out Christmas tree sellers from Quebec who camp out on every other corner this time of year are worried that the economic tailspin is going to seriously harsh the holiday vibe. Scott MacKinnon of Elite Balsam Products tells the Daily News that everyone's "a little bit nervous." In order to appeal to budget-conscious tree buyers, vendors have cut prices by 25% by buying cheaper trees. But other sellers are exhibiting unshakable faith in New Yorkers' need to fill every cranny of their apartments with balsam fir needles. One big seller in the city, Dr. Jane Waterman, insists that after three decades in business, her best season was right after 9/11: "In bad years, we find people buy trees and cut back on what they spend on gifts." Plus, "We're thinking everyone is so excited about the end of the Bush regime and the election of the first black President that they'll buy trees."

Patchogue's annual holiday-timed parade will not have fireworks this year after famous fireworks company Grucci (which does the Macy's July 4th show) has pulled out, upset that the parade lost "Christmas" from its name. Newsday reports that last year's Patchogue Christmas Boat Parade (named so at the request of Grucci, which donated $5000) is now the Patchogue Holiday Boat Parade, after complaints that the parade wasn't being inclusive enough. Grucci VP Philip Butler took offense, saying, "They are using all the themes of Christmas and plagiarizing all those themes and not using the name." Yes, like a Santa on a yacht! The Patchogue mayor isn't too upset, "When I think about fireworks, I don't think about Christmas anyway - I think about the Fourth of July."

Muslim families who want two days out of the year to be official school holidays are facing stiff resistance from Mayor Bloomberg, who has repeatedly said that students should not have any more days off. Public schools are closed on major Christian and Jewish holidays, and some Muslims say it's unfair that none of their holidays are observed. The Staten Island Advance reports that on Friday a group called The Coalition for Muslim School Holidays pressed the City Council for two days off: the final day of Ramadan and Eid Ul-Adha, which marks the culmination of the Hajj. Bloomberg insists that if Muslim holidays are made official, the door would be opened for other religious groups to demand their days off; it's a safe bet that Festivus adherents are following the situation closely.

It's the first day of Fall and Target is already counting down the days to Christmas. One shopper spotted this jolly 'ol snowman, amongst the other seasonal characters, just a row or two down from the Halloween candy. Sure, shops are notorious for getting lots of play out of the profitable holidays, but according to Santa's clock, there are still 93 days to go til the big day.

          

"spectacular" by i'mjustsayin on flickr

Sunday may be Father's Day, but today is reserved especially for what Woody Allen dubbed "rats with wings" (the New York Bird Club is still demanding an apology from him).

Mark your calendars -- National Escargot Day is rapidly approaching. Really. As a lead up to the big day, Chef Craig Hopson of One if by Land, Two if by Sea, in association with Douglas Dussault of Potironne Company, is serving a 6-course snail-laden tasting menu featuring Wild Burgundy Snails. Yes, even dessert will have a snail of some sort involved.

Today is a federal holiday honoring the birthday of first president George Washington. Washington was actually born on February 22, but in 1971, the holiday was "shifted to the third Monday in February, by the Uniform Monday Act" (per Wikipedia). Given that Abraham Lincoln's birthday is February 12, some state governments call the holiday "President's Day." And then the marketers got involved, making this day for sales as well and many presidents in one fell swoop.

Queens DA Richard Brown announced an off-duty NYPD detective and his girlfriend were charged with promoting the prostitution of a 13-year-old Brooklyn runaway. Brown said, “This case is every parent and every child’s worst nightmare – made even more frightening by the fact that one of the defendants is a police officer who swore to uphold the law and protect the community he serves.”

THEATER: Without uttering a single line of dialogue, theater company Parallel Exit has crammed an hour of stage time with an abundance of zany physical comedy. Accompanied by live music provided by various percussion instruments, ukulele and piano, a hapless troupe of vaudevillians stumbles though “a backstage adventure filled with comic chaos and fast-paced action, incorporating music, magic, tap, and slapstick.” Everything that can go wrong does in their little variety show, and Martin Denton says “there's enough slapstick and silliness to please the small fry and enough sophistication and acumen to ensure that grown-ups are constantly diverted as well, making this a well-nigh perfect family entertainment.” – John Del Signore

The Bronx Zoo is decked out for the holiday season through January 6th. Every animal under the sun has been recreated in twinkly lights, so bundle up and check out the sparkling safari. Giraffes and rhinos and peacocks, oh my!

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an explosion at Linden Blvd. and 220th St. in Queens, a homicide on Sedgewick Ave. in the Bronx, and a water main break on Prospect Place in Brooklyn
• Santa may have to bypass coalition troops stationed around the world today, but holiday presents will be appreciated even if they do arrive a few weeks into 2008. Newsday has a nice piece on gift-giving to troops and how to do it.
• U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner is in permanent campaign mode to become Mayor of NYC, as the office now seems to be a viable stepping stone for higher national office. Interesting fact: Weiner was a post-college roommate of comedian/news man Jon Stewart.

We remember Z100 fondly. It was our morning listen for much of elementary school, and for better or worse, has stuck to the same broadcasting formula for all this time. The annual Jingle Ball is a fun tradition, if for nothing else, as a convenient year end recap of all the biggest pop hits of the year we might have missed. Getting all these names together for one night only is no easy feat. They had your Fall Out Boys and Backstreet Boys, Alisha Keys and Avril Levine, Timbaland's bizarre soft-rock crossover protégées and many more. They all got a slot to perform their one hit wonders to the obsessed, shrieking masses. The biggest story coming out of the concert may have been the state of Ashley Tisdale's schnoz, but the music itself was a perfect storm of mainstream glitz that just seems fitting for this crazy season. (pic via Z100.com)