City Walks – Christmas Edition

It’s that time of year when people all over the city forget all of the rules about matching colors and subtle design elements, and throw everything out there. Better to light a single light than curse the darkness, and even better to light a thousand lights.

Apologies if this pushes the limits of bandwidth or phone viewing. It was hard to choose to what to leave out — there are places which are so amazingly decorated that your brain can’t keep up with it all. I hope you all have at least one place you can go to just let your eyes drink it all in.

Wreaths

It seems like half of the doors have wreaths of some kind. Why? Who really knows. Wikipedia mentions something vaguely about pagan connections, but barely explores the point. I suspect like a lot of old customs, it’s easy to just write it off to “mumble mumble pagans” than it is to admit we don’t really know why we put them up. But they do look nice.

Mangers

The symbolism of these is clear, though. There’s a tension all through the New Testament on the one hand between the divine nature of Jesus and his claimed lineage from King David to fit earlier prophecies, and on the other hand his intensely human nature. In this case mangers are a clear vote for the human side, and the playful nature of some of these feels like an extra vote for humanity.

Here’s a couple of traditional versions. Even though they’re extruded plastic, possibly lit up with bulbs inserted in unnatural ways, they still convey a warm peacefulness, focused on Jesus in probably the most natural setting in the 2,000 year old narrative.

Below is a more individualized version, displayed in a basement window facing a sidewalk, with birds soaring above the family instead of angels. It’s right at the eye level appropriate for a toddler ambling by.

Some are a lot more electric. You can just make out the shadowy figure on the right showing how you can walk right up to this display and see it up close — a great show of faith in other people by the owners.

But the most thought seems to have gone into this manger scene, with the living creatures replaced with doors. Maybe a pun on “O Come All Ye Faithful” and the line “O come let us “a door” Him?”

Christmas Figures

There were simply too many displays featuring Christmas figures to post. Some were the usual ones, but others went in other directions.

This one is a classic combination, except it went in a maximalist direction. Why have just one Santa when you can have three?

Should this have gone in the Manger section, or does the presence of a tin can robot turn it into something else? Is a robot even part of Christmas? Does it really need analysis?

Here’s where the pedants will jump in and note that Wookiees celebrate Life Day, not Christmas. And that a Storm Trooper probably wouldn’t come bearing gifts. But the real issue here is there is no Art Carney, Harvey Korman and Jefferson Starship. We’ll let it slide, of course.

And what can be more in tune with the spirit of the season than happy animals? Note the cardinal balanced on the dog’s nose — that would be a true miracle with any dog I’ve owned.

Peace on Earth

And when we get down to it, the ultimate wish for the season is for peace, goodwill, and belief in better things.

Merry Christmas Deadsplinterites, Happy New Year, Joyous Saturnalia, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa, I’ll even throw in a wish for Life Day.

Note the hand painted sign to the right of the hubcap tree.

There are little solar panels powering this display. Note the antlers on the brown flamingos. It seems like the Santa/Reindeer ratio is off, but who’s counting?

Just a little chalk can have a nice impact. In case you can’t read it, the words are Happy/Merrry/Joy/Santa/Believe

A soccer ball snowman wearing a mask with a We Believe sign — it’s practically poetry with the way it all comes together.