All photos courtesy of Macy’s, Inc. unless noted otherwise
Macy’s Herald Square unveiled its iconic holiday window displays last week, continuing a cherished tradition that has enchanted New Yorkers for generations. Macy’s was the first department store to feature Christmas window displays in 1874, and this year’s delightful creations will capture onlookers and invite them indoors to explore the store’s cheerful celebrations.
Roughly 150 years ago, R. H. Macy debuted the nation’s first Christmas windows at his store on 14th Street. In 1899, the store became the first to feature interactive windows.
This year, the holiday windows theme is “Give Love.” Each window represents an “emotion of giving,” according to Manny Urquizo, the director of storewide visual campaigns at Macy’s. There’s “Give Love,” “Give Joy,” “Give Warmth,” “Give Surprise,” and “Give Wonder.”
This holiday season, Macy’s partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, the city’s largest youth mentoring organization. Bigs and Littles from around the country were invited to decorate paper ornaments displayed in the holiday windows from now through the New Year.
During the Thanksgiving Day Parade, 30 Bigs and Littles from the organization will perform on the Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree float.
The windows are on view through January 6.
This year, the classic window displays are just one part of Macy’s holiday celebrations. Inside the store, guests can make reservations to visit Santaland, a whimsical landscape featuring Santa’s Village and Workshop.
“Macy’s Santaland is a magical place right here on 34th Street,” Kathleen Wright, director of production operations at Macy’s Studios, said.
“You’ll board the Santaland Express and arrive at the North Pole, where you’ll go on a journey. You’ll see elves wrapping presents and getting ready for the holiday. You’ll see Christmas trees just filling the land and then you will meet Santa himself and get that core holiday memory to share with your friends and family.”
The celebrations at Macy’s don’t end there. For the first time this year, the department store is debuting a holiday market at its Herald Square flagship in partnership with Urbanspace.
Known as Macy’s Holiday Square, the market features 30 local and holiday vendors providing an “immersive” experience with an assortment of products, holiday gifts, and food and beverages.
For its inaugural year, the shop features some of the city’s best hot chocolate, stroopwafels from Amsterdam, handcrafted Italian chocolates, Crumbl Cookies, and other festive treats. In addition to the vendors on the mezzanine level, specialty holiday vendors will be highlighted across each floor of Macy’s, offering shoppers a truly immersive festive market experience.
Shoppers can also browse personalized ornaments, jewelry, handmade stationery, candles, decorative accessories, and more.
Following the Thanksgiving Day Parade, a new market dubbed the Herald Holiday Market—another Urbanspace venture—will open on the plazas outside the store starting December 6.
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