I celebrated Christmas in the city for the first time, this year. It was my parents’ idea to come to see me this holiday, for a change, and spend the day doing city Christmas things.

We started off the afternoon with dinner at Carmine’s. I like to go to this tasty Italian restaurant with my parents, since there’s plenty of food there for my mother (an unadventurous eater) and the service is always good. Plus, I knew the place would be all decked out for Christmas with garlands and lights. I was not disappointed. We split a mixed green salad and two family-style entrees, Chicken Parm for the meat-eaters and Pasta Pomodoro for me and my mother. We finished the meal off with bread pudding and cappuccinos. As always, everything was delicious and the restaurant’s atmosphere was lively and warm.

We then took a walk through all those touristy, holiday spots, which I really haven’t done before. Starting with the windows at Saks, we made our way through Midtown to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It was my first time in this beautiful church and I enjoyed the graceful, Gothic interior. We then made the pilgrimage to Rockefeller Center. After awing over the tree (which is sporting energy-efficient, LED lights this year), we watched a couple get engaged on the ice below. As I said good-bye to my parents, they both said how much fun they had celebrating this Christmas in the city.

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4. My Ex-Girlfriend and Mom Weigh In On “Happy Holidays” vs. “Merry Christmas” and the Precarious State of Mankind in General
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