If you are Jewish, live in NYC and don't have a tree, Christmas is something to be experienced outdoors. The first thing we did this holiday weekend was take Mazzy to see the Christmas windows at Macy's, Lord & Taylor's and Sak's Fifth Avenue.
Now. I am all for "abstract". But when it comes to getting a Jewish two-year-old to understand and appreciate Christmas, Macy's and Sak's did me no favors.
Macy's Christmas windows depicted weird white marionette fairies playing white instruments amongst various wheels and gears.
And Sak's Christmas windows featured— get this— weird white people playing white instruments amongst various wheels and gears.
If it wasn't for the lovely windows at Lord & Taylor's (see below) which depicted toddler-friendly digestible holiday scenes like present wrapping, reindeer flying and snowman building, Mazzy's interpretation of Christmas would have been the celebration of couture-laden albinos working in musical factories.
Also not helping Mazzy's understanding of Christmas was the fact that I didn't take her to sit on Santa's lap this year. You see, Mike was chauffeuring us around by car and sitting illegally parked while he waited for our prompt return at each department store. Something about exorbitant parking prices in midtown Manhattan around the holidays. So standing on line at Macy's for several hours, fielding "What's taking you so long?" texts, was most decidedly out.
Mazzy doesn't know Santa is something to be missed anyway— she currently refers to him as "the man" whenever she sees his picture. We correct her but "the man" seems to have stuck. (Kinda gives a whole new appreciation for sayings like "stick it to the man" and "the man is keeping me down". I hope Mazzy doesn't get confused when she's older and think that Santa is some sort of oppressive figure responsible for big government and corporate America.)
Mazzy didn't go home completely photo-less though because there was someone else that made a special Christmas appearance right outside of Macy's with no line whatsoever.
Yep. That's illegal Elmo with his fake furry paws around my baby. (All licensed characters in the streets of NYC are unsanctioned and subject to imprisionment or fines if the NYPD decides to crack down— I found this out when innocently trying to procure an Elmo costume for Mazzy's 2nd birthday.)
Mazzy running into her beloved lifelong friend could have been a beautiful holiday moment, but I totally ruined it by giving her a dollar to put in his stocking (he's there for the money, after all).
Now every time someone mentions Elmo, Mazzy says, "Put a dollar in the bag".
It's a little like a Christian kid finding out Santa isn't real, right?
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Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday weekend!
I think this Elmo meeting was meant to be.
I took Caitlyn to see the windows at Macy’s too and the only reactions I got were confusion and fear. The damn music was so loud!
As for Elmo… I used to work at a party store and we rented costumes all the time. But never of Elmo or Mickey Mouse. We rented “red monster” and “Mr. Mouse”. So maybe you can’t get Elmo, but red monsters can run all over the damn place.
Caitlyn’s second birthday might just have to be red monster themed too. I didn’t even know she watched Sesame Street with our babysitter but we were at the mall a couple of weeks ago and she saw an Elmo in the window of a store and went batshit crazy. It would seem that Mickey Mouse is some sort of gateway drug- the pot to Elmo’s heroin. Fucking Elmo.
We love the Lord and Taylor windows! I agree the other ones are weird! When my daughter was 5, they made her cry.
I am so glad you found a kid friendly window.
You’d think Macy’s, being the sponsor/host of the most family-friendly parade known to man, would have traditional holiday displays in their windows, but theirs were the weirdest ones of all!
Haha! My kids have mostly CEO family (Christmas – Easter – Only) and one Jewish convert (my mom) and they don’t understand any religious holidays. Well, one is a baby but the 4-year-old still doesn’t get it. I told him Christmas was Jesus’ birthday and he asked where Jesus was. I told him “In Heaven” and he said “‘Cause he’s old?” I told him not to worry about it. We put up decorations and get presents and treats and that’s all he needs to know right now.
Thanks for showing me the windows that I didn’t get to see! As for Mazzy and her bff, She looks so grown up!
Mazzy has actually discovered a new drug called “Curious George”. And not just any run of the mill Curious George episode will do. It must be the Curious George movie called “Follow that Monkey 2”. That is some Purple Haze quality shit.
I wish someone had told me about the “Red Monster” option. I was told I could make a costume myself or buy a fake one on eBay.
We went to Lord & Taylor’s first and Mazzy loved them. Then we were pretty let down by the others. Mazzy just wasn’t interested.
You would think, right? They didn’t even have a velvet rope in front of them to line everyone up and move them along accordingly. Just crowds of people in front of each one which lessoned the experience as well.
My extended family actually has both a Jews for Jesus faction and an entire Hasidic wing. Get them all together and the bible might explode.
They had Elmo costumes in Target here at Halloween. Weird.
I have this weird thing in my head now about Mazzy throwing dollars at the tv.
That is crazy!! I do like the kid friendly window too… awesome gingerbread house.