How do New Yorkers celebrate Christmas?

Discover Christmas traditions in the United States and especially in New York. Here's how Christmas is celebrated in New York.

Christmas Decorations in New York

Right after Thanksgiving (the last Thursday in November) and the famous Macy’s parade the following Saturday, New Yorkers rush out to buy Christmas trees and start decorating their homes.
Trees are decorated with string lights, red and white candy canes, and popcorn garlands.
Many Americans also hang large wool stockings on the fireplace and tape holiday cards they’ve received to the walls.
Outside, New Yorkers love decorating their yards, trees, and house facades with garlands and twinkling ornaments. Dyker Heights in Brooklyn is the most elaborately decorated neighborhood for Christmas. The area draws crowds of visitors who come to see the spectacular displays.

Culinary traditions vary across the country, reflecting a nation of immigrants who brought their religions, cultures, and customs from around the world. This diversity is especially striking in New York, where over 170 languages are spoken and 36% of residents were born outside the United States.
One traditional beverage is served in most American homes as a welcoming drink to bring guests good fortune: Egg Nog. This thick drink is served in glass cups and made with eggs, sugar, milk, rum or bourbon, and freshly grated nutmeg or cinnamon.
For Christmas dinner, though some Americans prefer beef after Thanksgiving turkey, stuffed turkey remains the traditional main course. This tradition traces back to Christopher Columbus, who discovered the bird in the Americas (which he mistakenly believed to be India) and brought it back to Europe.
The turkey is often accompanied by green bean casserole (a dish of green beans, mushroom cream sauce, and fried onions), mashed sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce.
Many pies are served for dessert: pecan pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and more.

Santa Claus emerged after the publication of a story in 1823 by American minister Clement Moore. The tale describes a jolly Saint Nicholas visiting on Christmas Eve, accompanied by eight tiny reindeer pulling a small sleigh, delivering gifts to fill the stockings hung in the living room.
According to tradition, Santa Claus was originally a Christian bishop known for giving gifts to poor neighbors to help them survive the winter. This origin story inspired the modern American Santa.
Many volunteers join organizations during this season to distribute meals to those in need, continuing the tradition in their own way.

The Christmas tree tradition dates back to the 16th century, when a German priest named Martin Luther brought a tree to children in his parish on Christmas Eve to remind them of the beauty created by God. The tradition spread to England and then to the United States.
The largest Christmas tree stands at Rockefeller Center. Read our article on the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

This is a small elf placed on a shelf and moved each day to watch children during the day. Each evening, it travels to the North Pole to report to Santa Claus whether the children have been good.
This is a relatively recent tradition, dating to 2004, when the children’s book “The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition” by Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell was published.
While not all New York families have adopted it, many preschools use the elf to entertain children and introduce them to the festive spirit of Christmas.

Most Americans are Christian and celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25.
Other celebrations take place at the same time, including Kwanzaa (you’ll see signs near the illuminated tree on Wall Street), an African American holiday, and Hanukkah, a Jewish festival. Ultimately, all these celebrations blend together into one holiday season.