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December in NYC For Free
Grand Central Holiday Light
Show. Admire the magnificent architecture of this
famous train station and the holiday Sky Ceiling laser light show. Every half hour on the hour and on the
half hour. [42nd
& Park Ave.]
New York Public
Library—Lions, Exhibits, and Ice 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. On the 3rd
floor Print Gallery view the Multiple Interpretations exhibit of
contemporary prints. Look at or join the ice skaters at the Pond ice rink in Bryant Park in back of the
Library. [See more skating information in right column.]
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 Origami Tree and 19 foot Holiday
Dinosaurs 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]
Model Train Exhibit, Citigroup
Center. Take a fantasy journey with the multi-level model
railroad’s 30 trains. [Citigroup
Center, 153 E. 53rd. St. at Lexington
Ave.]
Chelsea Market Music and Tango Lesson
Weekends. Live weekend music, tango
dancing, and free tango lessons in the hallways,
Chelsea Market
[9th Ave.
between 15th/16th St.,
, #C or #/2/3 trains to 14th St.
and walk west]
South St. Seaport--Music at the Chorus Tree Weekends. 45 min. Big Apple 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 Tues 12:30-1:30 & 7-8pm. The Nutcracker performed by New York
Theatre Ballet, Winter Garden inside the World Financial Center (WFC). The
WFC is on the Hudson River in Battery
Park. [You must cross West St. to get to the WFC. Take any train to lower Manhattan
at or near World
Trade Center,
walk west, and cross West St. See map on School Bulletin Boards.]
December 7 Fri 7pm.
Holiday on the Hudson
Figure Skating Exhibition. Figure skating performance
by top US
skating competitors. Get first come, first served free
tickets now at Sky Rink, Pier 61 [Chelsea Piers, 23rd
& Hudson River, #C or #1 to 23rd St.
and walk west, # 11 bus to front of
the Piers]
December 9 Sun 3:30pm Tuba
Christmas Show. 100’s of tubas play in
concert at the Rockefeller
Center outdoor Ice
Rink. [See directions to Rock. Center above.]
December 16 Sun 12-4pm Mexican Family Celebration. Crafts, music, pinatas, food and performance of Posada and Pastorela,
a traditional play. Pay as you wish
museum admission. Museum of the City
of New York [5th Ave. @ 103rd St., 6 train to 103rd St. or 2/3 trains to 110th St.]
December 21, Fri 12:30-1:15pm and 7-8:15pm Ethel at
the Winter Garden. The innovative string quartet Ethel returns to celebrate the winter solstice in
the Winter Garden. [See directions, December
4, 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, the 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 22 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 Summer
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
Christmas trees and candles at Chanukah or Kwanza).
 Santa Claus. 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 who flies
from the North Pole in a sleigh [a vehicle pulled to travel over the snow]. The sleigh is
pulled by reindeer who help him to deliver toys and gifts all over the
world on Christmas eve. (Or so some
children like to believe.)
Free
Skating Begins at Bryant Park
The public skates free
at The Pond at Bryant Park behind the New York Public Library, between 40th/42nd
St. & 5th/6th Ave.
Rent skates for $10 or bring your own.
Free lockers. [See School
Bulletin Boards for hours and other places to ice skate free in NYC.]
 HAPPY HOLIDAYS
and
BEST WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR
from the
SPANISH-AMERICAN INSTITUTE
FACULTY and STAFF
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