NEW YORK—By the end of October, lights are strung up over the main streets of neighborhoods all over the city in festive configurations. You have the standard bells, snowflakes, and shooting stars flanking snowmen—strands that, when lit, read, welcome to such and such neighborhood. Some opt for abstract, multicolored swirls and geometric shapes.
A few weeks later, millions gather for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The next day, charities move their street outreach posts to Fifth Avenue, and street vendors start roasting chestnuts.
Soon, streets are lined with wreaths, ribbons, and evergreens for sale. Parks are filled with pop-up shops, public plazas hold tree and menorah lightings, and festive programming is scheduled for most cultural institutions. Every year, it runs like clockwork. And the holiday season in New York is iconic.
