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Uncle Samta Claus

20th December 202420th December 2024 funtime65

He’s the world’s most recognisable man with his red and white felt fat suit and bobble hat and bushy white beardie but he’s really an American… Uncle Samta Claus.

The Father Christmas we all know and love is surprise, surprise, a US creation and more precisely a New Yorker.

Which the more historical, or Dutch, will recognise as New Amsterdam.

And this matters because it was the early Dutch settlers.

Who brought their Sinterklaas across the Atlantic with them in the 17th century.

Sinterklass act

The colonialists being the masters of reinvention turned the thin Sinterklaas into a more rotund Santa Claus.

In furs rather than bishop’s robes and riding a sleigh pulled by reindeers rather than a flying horse.

And arriving on Christmas Day rather than January 6, Epiphany.

Twas the night

Of course, we should credit writers Washington Irving and Clement Clark Moore for the part they played in the Uncle Samta story.

With Irving’s Knickerbocker’s History of New York popularising the name Santa Claus as the translation of Sinterklaas.

And Clement Clarke Moore’s poem A Visit From St. Nicholas, or Twas the Night Before Christmas, turning Santa into a jolly old elf.

So how do holiday revellers best mark these pioneers and Santa’s journey?

A New Amsterdam Christening

Skate expectations: Rockefeller Center ice rink

Well, there’s the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (100 years this year) the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting and ice rink.

And the Radio City Christmas Spectacular (The Rockettes).

An Old Amsterdam Christmas

While Old Amsterdam also puts on a show.

With Museumplein turned into Amsterdam Christmas Square every year with markets and an ice rink.

While the most famous lighted area of all in Amsterdam puts Christmas illuminations gloss on the season.

But whether you’re celebrating in New Amsterdam/New York, Old Amsterdam or any point in between or further afield.

Offer a big show-ho-ho of gratitude to Uncle Samta Claus.

America, Countries, Europe, UK

Christmas lights between the jigs and the reels

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It may not have the bells and whistles of an Oxford Street or Rockefeller Center but North Berwick’s Christmas lights between the jigs and reels are a festive delight.

Our sleepy little town on the east coast of Scotland suddenly burst into sound this weekend for the illuminations.

With community groups and singers getting the party going with Christmas songs.

And the pipers belting out a rendition of Jingle Bells.

As they marched down the main street, or the Olden Mile as I like to call it.

It turns out that we were a day early as today is the official National Christmas Lights Day.

No us neither but it harks back to a pal of Thomas Alva Edison’s. who it’s safe to say knew his lights, in the late 1800s.

Let there be light

Twas Edward H. Johnson who handwired his lights together.

To get round the safety issues of flamed candles.

It helped too that Edward H had a supporter in the most important man in the land, US President Grover Cleveland.

Who you’ll remember we, and the rest of the world, got talking about as the last prez to win non-consecutive terms.

Now we dare say that The Donald will be putting on quite the light show at his Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida.

Maybe inspired by his native New York where ‘He’ has kept his patch even outside his own term.

This year’s blond: With ‘The Donald’ in New York

And you can also go full New Yoiker and skate on the Rockefeller ice rink.

As your Bandanaman and Daddy’s Little Girl did.

Get your skates on

Escaping the labours of sifting and lifting through stuff in your attic and garage for Crimbo lights, trees and decorations has become a thing.

So take note when you are away on a mid-winter city trip for what Christmas festivities they have in store.

As we did on our romantic weekend in Amsterdam, staying at George and Amal’s favourite Dutch hotel, the Dylan, where else?

And learned how they make a benefit of their canals to light up the city.

While if you’re really lucky it might ice up for skating.

Now wherever you are in the world from Edinburgh to Sydney, Dublin to Rio.

Enjoy the Christmas lights between the jigs and the reels.

America, Countries, Culture, Deals, Ireland

Empire Skate of Mind

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I got a pocketful of dreams, and memories, an Empire Skate of Mind ,… with Daddy’s Little Girl.

I wonder if Jay-Z and Alicia Keys could do anything with it.

The Rockefeller is an institution in the city that never sleeps with many a movie set here.

Me and Daddy’s Little Girl are in there somewhere

And I do think Tom and Meg, who had their lovey/-dovey scene here, should reprise Sleepless in Seattle with Sleepless in the Big Apple.

For all the movie gen you need get on the full tour.

The Rockefeller is where New York is at its most festive with the best fir in the city, and the Rockefeller Christmas Tree is where you’ll want to look for your present.

The tree dates back to 1931 when all the workers pooled their money to buy a 20fr tree while their families garlanded it.

And yes you would think someone as rich as Rockefeller would have put one up out of his own pocket!

The joys of a Christmas New York City will be confined to all you New Yorkers this year.

In previous years it has been something of a tradition to go Christmas shopping in Manhattan… from Ireland.

And with optimism over the roll-out of a vaccine.

And our hard-working dream-makers (our travel companies) putting trips together for 2021, it’s time to plan.

The United Skates

American Holidays have a four-night trip to NY in November from €799pp.

Staying in the Doubletree Metropolitan by Hilton, based on two sharing.

Shop til you drop

And with return flights from Dublin to New York.

When all those mad shoppers will be back from Ireland and the island next to it.

And yes The Scary One has forewarned me!

GET YOUR SKATES ON