A traditional, commercialized Christmas
In Chicago Christmas begins in November, with the revealing of Marshall Field’s (now Macy’s) Christmas windows and the hanging of golden trumpets on the façade of the grand old department store. Inside, for more than 100 years the Walnut Room restaurant has glistened in its holiday glory with its centerpiece: a stunning Christmas tree. On the fifth floor, Santa awaits his eager fans in Santaland. The store buzzes with shoppers in a crush of shopping bags from Macy’s and other stores up and down the historic State Street shopping district.
A couple of blocks away, a towering Christmas tree stands in Daley Plaza, with a bustling Christkindlmarket at its foot. Adjacent is a privately sponsored life-size nativity scene, with a sign informing visitors that they are keeping the “Christ in Christmas.” Nearby stands an enormous menorah, along with a recent addition: an eight-foot “A” representing atheism and agnosticism, in celebration of the winter solstice and the Bill of Rights.
A little farther North, Michigan Avenue sparkles in its finery of lights and greenery with elegant shops proclaiming they hold the perfect Christmas gift or stocking stuffer. Stores burst with shoppers. The countdown to Christmas, or rather the shopping days left before Christmas, brings urgency to the shoppers milling between stores inspecting merchandise and making purchase after purchase. Further gift suggestions come directly to our homes and pockets through e-mail.
