The setting is Chicago, with its traditions so dear
celebrating a magical season in full holiday gear…
A magical spin through 150 years of fashion
reveals in Chicago’s high-style passions.
Since 1897, State Street’s Great Clock
has announced Christmas time with every tick-tock.
A Chicago tradition and, oh my how it’s grown –
like the kids who’ve made Uncle Mistletoe their own.
Mrs. Hering’s potpie and a magical Great Tree,
The Walnut Room at Christmas, where else could you be?
Turn your gaze back to ninteen-aught-seven,
when Tiffany gave us this magical bit of heaven.
Make your way north to Santa’s magical lair,
where he listens to wishes in his big comfy chair.
In “Miracle on 34th Street,” the 1947 hit,
Christmas magic is real… if you believe in it.
Inside Macy’s there is a letterbox to collect letters for Santa Claus. Bring your stamped letter addressed to Santa at the North Pole and drop it into Santa’s special letterbox. Macy’s then counts them up and for each letter received, they donate $1 to Make-A-Wish, up to $1,000,000. Macy’s then delivers the letters to the post office.
I walk past Macy’s department store, the second largest department store in the world, every day on my commute to work, but I don’t pass by the State Street side with the holiday windows. I usually am on Randolph or Washington. From my periphery I didn’t think the holiday windows were much to make a big deal about this year. Yesterday I decided to take a closer look and found that I was wrong and that quite like them!
This year’s holiday windows are themed “The Magic of Christmas.” They show the history of Marshall Field’s holiday traditions. You’ll remember that this store was Marshall Fields, the iconic Chicago department store, up until Macy’s bought and renamed it in 2009. At that time everyone freaked the eff out, but I think that these windows show Macy’s commitment to carrying on Marshall Field’s traditions. If you’re in Chicago in the next few weeks, go to Macy’s State Street and check out the windows. And then go inside and check out the great tree!
Some other holiday windows I’ve enjoyed –
– 2005 Marshall Field’s Windows: Cinderella
– 2004 Marshall Field’s Windows: Snow White & drag queens.
– 2003 Macy’s NYC Windows: A Christmas Story
– 2003 Saks 5th Avenue NYC Windows: Gifts That Give Back