Jennifer Vu
Dr. Mumford
English – Period 7
8 November 2014
Christmas In New York After thanksgiving, the month of December isn’t the only thing that rolls around. Children unravel their extensive wish lists, shopping centers roll out extra shopping carts, and parents unwillingly roll out cash. Although Christmas brings out the materialistic side of some people, there is no doubt that there’s a dose of happiness and excitement mixed into the flurries of New York snow. Experiences become memories when smells, sounds, and sights melt together; and Christmas time in New York seems to have the perfect recipe. During December, the holiday season greets the city with the scent of freshly lumbered pine trees, ginger bread, and cinnamon. Bakeries waft the scent of their baked good into the streets in hopes to entice tourists and children. The scent of pine, fresh snow, and gingerbread cookies intertwining create warmth within the soul that can make one forget that the weather is below zero degrees for a split second. Although the scent of the holiday doesn’t completely mask the harsh, everyday scents of lit cigarettes, garbage, and gas; there is no scent as remarkable as the scent of New York during the holidays. When the holidays arrive, New York’s screeching subways, startling taxi horns, and obnoxious street vendors, seem to be soothed by classic Christmas tunes and laughter. The ringing and slamming of cash registers double in volume and repetition, the jingle of charity bells, children’s’ laughter as they scrape the ice with their ice skates, and hearty chuckles from each Santa Claus on every block add to the Christmas symphony. In the beginning of December, the sounds of suitcases on pavement and clicking cameras increase as tourists