Macy's Holiday Windows are an annual event held at Macy's flagship department stores across the United States. The displays are traditionally unveiled the week before Thanksgiving, and run through New Year's Day. Macy's Herald Square presents the festive display along six windows on the Broadway side of the building, with a new, unique theme being selected every year.
History[]
Macy's first began the tradition of their animated holiday windows in 1889, at their original location on 14th Street. When the department store chain moved its location to 34th Street and Broadway in 1902, the tradition carried over to the new store. Every year since then, Macy's has produced over 100 different window displays.
Between 1926 and 1941, the Holiday Windows were displayed by Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade legend, Tony Sarg. During this era, the windows would be revealed at the Parade's termination point on 34th Street, where Santa Claus himself would unveil them with the wave of a hand. Between 1928 and 1932, the balloons from the Parade also became tradition at the window's unveilings.
In 2019, the window's theme was centered around the fictional Santa Girl, who watches the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from her bedroom window and wishes she were Santa Claus. The windows let visitors go on a journey with Santa Girl to learn that Santa can be in all of our hearts, hence the theme: "Believe in the Wonder."
In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, Macy's planned to have the 2020 Holiday Windows continue on. The theme of 2020's windows was "Give, Love, Believe" and served as a thank you letter to the city and those who were on the frontlines of the pandemic including first responders, essential workers, marchers for equality, and New Yorkers who showed their grit, good humor and hopeful spirit during a tumultuous year.
The 2021 Holiday Windows ran from November 18th to January 1st, showcasing an original Macy's character, Tiptoe, who was afraid to fly and served as the ambassador for the annual "Believe" campaign.
In 2022, the theme of the holiday windows was chosen with the goal to celebrate togetherness with festive nostalgia. Each display showcases a different world crafted with core material such as gingerbread, yam, flannel, paper, wood, and mirror to create moments of discovery, joy, and excitement.
See also[]
- Macy's Santaland, a holiday event that runs concurrently with the Holiday Windows at Macy's flagship stores.