Dem dede dem dem de de deeem.
Everybody knows this most famous melody. And it was this very
melody, which heralded the Christmas season for me. A group of LLMs went out to
Lincoln Center, more precisely the David Koch Theater, to realize the dream of
so many – once to “be transported to amagical place filled with adorable children, marching toy soldiers, a glowingone-ton Christmas tree that seemingly grows forever, mischievous mice,crystalline waltzing snowflakes, the Land of Sweets and some of the mostbreathtaking costumes, sets and dancing on earth.” In short once to
experience a New York live-performance of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet.
The advertisement on the play’s website was no exaggeration.
The magical performance filled the air with festive and Christmassy mood. It warmed
our heart and spent much needed energy for the final weeks of the semester. Let
alone the festively decorated way back home, all the lights in the streets, all
the wonderful smelling Christmas trees being sold on the sidewalks tempted to
dance, twist, and twirl the way home like the dancers in the ballet. Home,
where my flat mate had put up a Christmas tree of extraordinary beauty with an
extraordinary handmade (!) Christmas star.
Unfortunately, as I have already reported, after this
amazing experience, Christmas season was dedicated more to studying law of the
W.T.O. and American Constitutional Law than to enjoying Christmas season
downtown. Only the lightened trees on Columbia Cross Walk reminded us that
Christmas was waiting out there. However, what may be better than to finish a
24 hour exam and then go off to marvel at the Christmas tree at Rockefeller
Center, to watch people ice-skating in front of this gigantic Christmas tree,
to witness a proposal on skates, to hang out in Bryant Park, to wander through
the city and its shopping malls and stores and to be enchanted by the excess of
shiny and blinking Christmas decoration presented in the shop-windows? And what
can be better than sharing all these American Christmassy experiences with
millions of other people?
Well, this Christmas’ highlight was to celebrate real
American Christmas in a real American family: Waking up in the morning of the
25th, sharing the children’s hope that Santa Clause has stopped by
and left some presents. And to be sure: yes, Santa did leave some (!) presents.
The best present for me was the chance to experience the
children’s excitement, the family’s joy in presenting the presents – and to
experience America from this very intimate perspective.
In the evening we went to a performance of the Christmas
Carol. And somehow – I realize this just now, this very unique Christmas
experience ended as it started: with music.
Merry Christmas.
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