It's the most wonderful time of the year...
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The New York Botanical Garden is decked out in Christmas lights and trees in the spirit of the season. The biggest expression of the Botanical Garden’s holiday cheer is the holiday train show, which takes up most of the conservatory.
Julius Constantine Motal
Holiday light displays line West 231st Street, and cast a warm glow after hours.
Julius Constantine Motal
Santa waves hello to passersby from the relative comfort of a front lawn on Corlear Avenue.
Aaron Mayorga
Some houses go all out with Christmas light displays, showing the neighborhood how it’s done with elaborate setups. Christmas lights date back to 1882. Inventor Edward Johnson was the first person to put together a string of electric lights. Before that, candles were used to light trees, but that was a huge fire hazard.
Aaron Mayorga
A family of snow people offer season’s greetings in the dark of night. Snowmen have been a popular aspect of Christmas for decades, but the first known photograph of a snowman dates back to 1853 by Welsh photographer Mary Dillwyn. The 19th century snowman, however, lacked a corncob pipe and a button nose — or a carrot one, for that matter.
Aaron Mayorga
Wreaths are a common fixture for households celebrating Christmas. Given their circular nature with no beginning or end, wreaths symbolize the infinite nature of God.
Aaron Mayorga
Christmas stockings hang in the windows of a home.
Aaron Mayorga
Plastic candy canes stand in groups in a yard on Corlear Avenue. The candy version was made by hand until 1921 when Brasher Westerfield invented a machine that automated the process.
Aaron Mayorga
Christmas bows line a fence on a residential street.
Aaron Mayorga
With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, the Christmas season is in full force. Houses undergo transformations big and small. Some are dressed to the nines in lights, whereas others are more understated with nothing more than a wreath adorning the door.
While the season can be a convenient scapegoat for politicians, most people prefer to revel in the spirit of the season, spreading holiday cheer and sharing in the warmth that comes with it — despite the freezing cold.
Snowmen, candy canes, wreaths and inflatable Santas line the streets, each a sign of the season and a part of an American tradition.
Keywords
Christmas, Riverdale, Aaron Mayorga, Julius Constantine Motal
