Christmas celebrations are important in New York and there are many opportunities to go back in time this holiday season. It may be 2016, but that does not mean that you cannot visit a Christmas from long ago.
In the fall of 1843, Charles Dickens sat down and began writing "A Christmas Carol." He was hard-pressed for money and desperately needed it quickly. In just a few weeks, Dickens extolled the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and how he uncovered the true meaning of Christmas. With the final publication on December 19, 1843, Dickens created one of the most memorable holiday stories.
Today, New Yorkers can travel back in time at the Morgan Library & Museum and see the original manuscript. This year, the museum features the final page from the first section. It shows an awe-stricken Scrooge after Jacob Marley, his former friend and business partner, warns him that three ghosts will visit him and makes him reconsider his current lifestyle.
Travel back even further at the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden in the Upper East Side. This historic building served as a day hotel from 1826 to 1833 for upper-middle class individuals looking to escape from the hustle and bustle that existed below 14th Street. The rooms are decorated to reflect the holiday season with garlands, wreaths, strings of crab apples and figgy pudding (though it was then known as “plum pudding”). Take a look at the museum’s historic hot chocolate maker and imagine how the hotel’s guests would have enjoyed sleigh rides in Upper Manhattan.
Head back to the 18th century at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and explore the holiday exhibit, "Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche." This 20-foot tree is covered with religious figures, with beautiful angels and cherubs. Nativity scenes have a lengthy history in Italy, and the tree is surrounded by 71 figures oft the Magi, townspeople and peasants created in 18th century Naples. Experience the Christmas spirit alongside a historical understanding of the holiday.
To celebrate more recent history, travel to Rockefeller Center. The first tree was officially erected here in 1933. But earlier accounts suggest that trees were first set up earlier in the Great Depression. The trees have gotten bigger over the years and the lights have grown much more modern, but the tradition continues. This year, the tree is 94 feet tall and it is the heaviest tree that has stood at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
So whatever your interest in Christmas history may be, you will certainly not be disappointed in New York. Merry Christmas and a happy exploration.
