In even less than a blink of an eye, it is Christmas time in the city yet again.

Twinkling lights line the streets and wreaths bearing big red bows hang from lampposts. The Rockefeller Center tree shines brightly into space and the Swarovski Star atop the tree reminds us that no other city does Christmas better or more fabulously than New York.

Pushing through the crowds to get to Midtown East one finds themselves coming upon Halal Vendors lined down Fifth Avenue. Just across the traffic lies Saks Fifth Avenue, dressed in its best with lit garland lining every window and door. This year Saks unveils, “The Winter Palace.”

Each window is lit with blue light while each mannequin sports a beautifully embellished gown, most of which are white and silver. The mannequins are more than a storefront advertisement for a garment. Each is an art piece that incorporates fashion with the very best time of year.

Whether you stumble upon it or you plan your evening around it, Saks Fifth Avenue becomes a central part of every New Yorker’s Christmas. Of course, the tree is a must and the giant ornaments across from Radio City are a staple of the city, but Saks Fifth Avenue is like an exhibit in a museum. Tourists and locals stare through the glass at the most fabulous art exhibit in the city.

 

The chilly air and honking horns are as significant as the windows themselves. New York would be nothing without the beautiful Christmas lights accompanied by yellow taxis and the commotion of Fifth Avenue. Within the world of fabulousness that is Saks Fifth Avenue, there is a feeling that is utterly New York. The fashion, the fast pace and the wonderful feeling of inspiration that comes from stepping through two huge doors dressed in sparkly garland is incomparable to any other city in the world.

When the lights come down after Jan. 1, the snow becomes slush and the city turns grey, Saks Fifth Avenue still stands. It is a refuge from the late winter cold. It is the bright and glamorous escape from the grayness of February in New York City. However, for a grand instance in time, Saks is the essence of Christmas in the city and New Yorkers far and wide come take in the sparkle of the last moments of 2015.