New York City has a favorite hobby. It likes to show off. And at no other time is this more obvious than during the holiday season when the city decides to sparkle more than a freshly cut diamond.
With the Thanksgiving parade sweeping through the streets and holiday decorations exploding across the city, New York spends two months proudly shouting “Look at me!” — and honestly, we all are happily looking.
My family and I too could not resist this invitation. We went out to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving parade and also see the Christmas decorations.
My Thanksgiving day started earlier than any normal person’s during a school break. Like every year, I stumbled out of bed, got semi-presentable for our Thanksgiving adventure beginning with catching the train into the city. There is a special kind of chaos when a family travels together — someone is always “almost ready,” someone else forgets gloves, and at least one person asks, “Do we have time to grab a coffee?” even though the train is expected in 45 seconds.
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Somehow we made it. The train ride felt like a parade pregame show. Families bundled in layers climbed aboard. Kids bounced in their seats like tiny popcorns. Adults clutched hot drinks with the desperation of people who had woken up at 6 a.m. Once the train started rolling, there was a shared excitement — the kind that makes even a sleepy ride feel like the start of something big.
Stepping into New York City felt like entering a giant, cold festival. Crowds were already forming, claiming viewing spots with the seriousness of people marking territory in the Hunger Games. We squeezed our way in, and, just like that, the show began.
This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving parade felt as if someone had turned the city’s personality way up. The giant balloons floated down the streets like oversized celebrities. Some classics returned — looking massive as always — while new characters made kids scream and parents blink in confusion. Watching them drift past skyscrapers made us feel tiny and entertained at the same time — which is basically New York in a nutshell.
The floats rolled by like moving stages, each one more dramatic than the last. Marching bands blasted music with impressive energy, even though their instruments must have frozen. Dancers leapt and twirled in temperatures that had the rest of us questioning our sanity in coming out into the open air. But in true New Yorker fashion, the dancers kept dancing and smiling as if the cold wasn’t real.
At the end came the most iconic moment of the parade – Santa rolling in like the headliner of a music festival. Every year Santa arrives with a full sleigh, waves at millions of people, and instantly gets credit for starting Christmas in New York. Talk about influence!
The parade ended like all festivals do and, shivering, we walked through a Manhattan that had switched into full holiday mode. Decorations were everywhere — lights, displays, glowing trees. It seemed as if the city had snapped its fingers and transformed itself overnight. Every corner became a new photo spot. Families took pictures, tourists posed mid-shiver, and people holding hot chocolate instantly felt more festive.
Whether big displays or tiny window decorations, the whole city seemed determined to prove it was the holiday headquarters. I love how New York City stays both chaotic and charming at all the times, but especially during festivals and parades. The sidewalks get crowded, the trains turn into sardine cans, and someone always says, “It wasn’t this crazy last year,” even though it absolutely was. But the holiday spirit does something to people — it makes them smile more, complain less, and sometimes even hold doors a little longer.
By the time we made our way back to the train, tired and carrying the emotional weight of too many photos, I tried putting my finger on why this day feels special every year, and then, though distracted, I did find the exact spot to put my finger on. The parade brings out the city’s boldest side, and the decorations bring out its warmest. Together, they turn the freezing weather into something magical.
If you haven’t made the trip yet to the city for the parade, go for it. Bundle up. Bring your camera. Dodge the crowds. Get emotionally smacked by a giant balloon. Take the train with your favorite people and treat the whole day like the cheerful, chaotic adventure it is. Because in New York, the holidays aren’t just a season — they have their own identity.