Christmas Tree Lighting

Tonight was the 73rd annual Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center - the day that officially kicks off the Christmas season in New York. I left my apartment on 50th at 8:30pm to walk over there, knowing I probably wouldn’t be able to get close to the tree. I was right.

50th Street was closed off all the way to 5th Avenue from Broadway (where I live). I walked as far as 6th Avenue. That’s where the crowd ended! The 70-foot Norway spruce tree on the plaza near 5th Avenue was out of view.

I stopped at a street vendor’s table on my way there and bought a five-dollar Santa hat with blinking red stars lighting up the white furry brim. It even plays a tune. It was perfect for this event, so I put it on and headed down the blocked-off street toward the crowd.

I found a nice family of five from Brooklyn and a man from the Bronx to hang out with. A couple minutes before nine o’clock we heard the countdown to the lighting and looked up at the big screen TV ahead of us in the next block – a good 500 feet away, at least. Just as the tree was being lit, a big city bus drove right in front of the crowd standing this side of 6th Avenue, blocking our view! The whole crowd expressed a big“Awwwwwwwwwwe!” in unison. What are the odds? We were all like, “Get that guy’s license plate!” But most of us laughed about it.

So I was there – just not all the way there. Even though I couldn’t see the tree from where I stood and missed the lighting on the screen, it still gave me a good, warm feeling. There’s something about all the lights and the friendly people and the season that just makes you happy inside. I stopped at another vendor’s table on the way back and got two more hats for Rudy and Ben, the doormen on duty tonight at the Gershwin. They were both tickled to get them.

Rudy saw me coming while I was headed toward the building, waving a blinking hat in each hand. When I passed through the revolving door at my building, he’d taken his doorman hat off and was bowing toward me, waiting for me to put the blinking Santa hat on his head. Ben was at his usual post behind the desk and smiled really big when I tossed his hat to him. On my way back out (to get milk) Rudy gave me a big kiss. (I adore him. And Ben too. Along with Bill, they're my favorite Gerswhin doormen.) And when I came back from Food Emporium they were both wearing their Santa hats! Hee-hee. It's Christmas in New York. Wheeeeeee!

I tried to put the hat on Martin but he wasn’t having ANY of that - see below. Merry Christmas from New York, everyone!