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 December in NYC For Free
Grand Central Holiday Light Show. Walk over
after class and admire the magnificent architecture of this famous train
station and the holiday Sky Ceiling laser light show. Every half hour on the hour and the half
hour. [42nd & Park Ave.]
New York Public Library—Lions, 3 Faiths Exhibit, and Skating. Stroll
from the Institute to the New York Public Library between 41st and
42nd Sts. on 5th Ave.
Admire Patience
and Fortitude, the two famous stone lions wearing their holiday
wreaths. Go inside and view the 3 Faiths: Judaism,
Christianity, Islam Exhibit. Look at or join the ice skaters at The Pond
ice rink in Bryant Park in back of the Library.
Holiday Decorations. Continue along 5th Ave. from 59th
St. to 39th St. to view holiday decorations including the holiday
tree at Rockefeller Center and department store windows. Or walk to Macy’s to see their world famous
holiday windows at 34th St. and 6th Ave.
Rockefeller Center. The world’s
most famous holiday tree will be on display until early January. Enjoy watching the skaters in the skating
rink below. [5th Ave. & 48th St.]
 Museum of Natural History Origami Tree and
Holiday Barasaurs. The 19 foot Holiday Dinosaurs outside and the
Origami Tree inside greet visitors of the American Museum of Natural History Pay-as-you
wish admissions. [Central Park West between 79th/81st
, C train to 81st, 1
train to 79th and Broadway]
 Peace Tree. Visit
the non-denominational [non-religious] tree decorated with 1,000 Paper
Cranes (large birds) at the Cathedral
of St. John the Divine [Amsterdam Ave. & 110th
St., 1 train to 110th & Broadway]
South St. Seaport--Music
at the Chorus Tree Weekends. 45 min. St. Cecilia Chorus performances Fridays at
6&7pm and Saturdays/Sundays at 3&4pm at the Seaport’s famous outdoor
Chorus Tree. [Fulton St. between South and Water Sts. 2,3,4,5,J,Z, or M to Fulton. A,C to Broadway-Nassau. E to Fulton St. Then walk East to the East River on Fulton
St.]
December 4 Saturday 5-11pm. Brooklyn Museum First Saturday, celebrates “Light Up the Season” with free music,
dance, performances, etc. [2/3 trains to Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn
Museum].
December 5&6, Saturday & Sunday, 1&3pm. Market
Native Flute Music with Mary
Youngblood at the Museum of the American Indian [One Bowling
Green across from Battery Park in US Custom House, 1 to S. Ferry, 4/5 to
Bowling Green, or R/W to Whitehall.]
December
12 Sun 3:30pm Tuba Christmas Show. 100’s
of tubas play in concert at the Rockefeller Center outdoor Ice Rink. [See directions to Rockefeller Center above.]
December 19 Sun 11-5pm
Mexican Traditional Holiday Celebration. Crafts, music, pinatas, food and performance of Posadas y Pastorela, a traditional play.
Pay-as-you- wish museum admission. Museum
of the City of NY
[5th Ave. @ 103rd St., 6 train to 103rd St. or 2/3 trains to 110th St.]
December 21 Thurs 8:30&10:30pm The Sweet Divines Holiday Soul Spectacular, holiday soul and a touch of gospel. Lincoln Center Rubenstein Atrium, Broadway at 62/63rd St.
December 31 Fri 7pm New Year’s Concert for Peace at Cathedral
of St. John the Divine
arrive early for
first-come first-served seats. See directions to Peace Tree, above.
 American
children (and quite a few grownups) like to build snowmen and other figures
out of snow.
I
am a snowman cold and white
I stand so still all through the night
I have a carrot nose way up high
And a lump of coal to make each eye.
I have a muffler [scarf] colored red
And a tall black hat upon my head.
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 Americans celebrate New Year’s Eve the night
of December 31, often at parties with family and friends. At midnight, people see out the old year
and greet the new one, sometimes by ringing bells, blowing horns, or watching
outdoor fireworks
To many New Yorkers, the 11,845 pound crystal Ball dropping at Times
Square at midnight signals the start of the New Year. Huge crowds line Broadway from 43rd-50th
Sts. and 7th Ave. as far north as 59th St. At 6pm on Dec. 31, the Ball will be lit and
raised to the top of the 77” flagpole at One Times Square. At 11:59pm, it will make its 60-second
descent to signal
the start of the New Year. Viewing spots will be taken
on a 1st come 1st
serve basis. Police will close the
blocks as they fill up with spectators.
Dress warmly and protect your valuables. Or watch at home on TV.
Winter Holidays of Light and Hope
December 21 begins the
Winter Solstice. This is the first day
of Winter and the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Good
news! Each day after the 22nd will get
a few seconds longer until Spring begins.
Ancient peoples in cold climates like
Northern Europe feared Winter’s shortage of food and long days without
sunlight when the sun seemed to disappear.
They often developed ceremonies and rituals to “bring back” the sun.
Today’s holidays at this time of year continue to “bring back” the sun by
celebrating with light and greenery (e.g., lighted trees and candles at
Chanukah or Kwanza and Christmas).
 Santa
Claus Legend. The Northern Europeans who
settled North America also brought with them the story of St. Nicholas. Originally, he was the patron saint of
sailors as well as of children.
Stories about St. Nicholas included the bringing of simple presents to
children. By the late 19th Century, the story of St. Nicholas was
transformed into that of Santa Claus.
By now, he has changed completely from a religious figure to that of a
chubby little man with a jolly smile in a red suit who flies from the North
Pole in a sleigh [a vehicle pulled to travel over the snow]. His sleigh is pulled by reindeer who help him deliver
toys and gifts all over the world on Christmas eve. (Or so some children like to believe.)
 United Nations Human Rights Day—December 10: 60 years ago, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. In this season of
peaceful celebration, please take a moment to read it and think about the
ideals it expresses.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
and
BEST WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR
from the
SPANISH-AMERICAN
INSTITUTE
FACULTY and
STAFF
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