Taking a leisurely stroll from Macy's to Barneys to look at all of the magical holiday windows is a long-standing tradition for my family. In our pre-parenting days, my husband and I took this walk during the wee hours of Christmas Eve. Once our son was born, we moved it to Thanksgiving weekend at a much earlier hour. It's a wonderful and totally free way to kick off the holiday season, and creates lasting memories that our son will cherish long after he's outgrown the toys under the tree.
For the third yearin a row, my son and I were joined by fellow Mommy Poppins blogger Raven and her daughter. Unlike 2012's Disney windows at Barneys, there was no obvious favorite display this year. As you can see from our photos, 2013's department store holiday windows are particularly spectacular and run the gamut from comic (Saks Fifth Avenue's adorable yeti adventure) to classic (Lord & Taylor's Ladies' Mile-inspired displays) to cutting-edge (Jay-Z's avant-garde collaboration with Barneys, which includes a virtual sleigh ride).
One holiday window trend that seems to get bigger every year: interactive displays. Many department stores had at least one interactive element in their windows, including Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys. Read on for the details and click through our slide show for a peek at what you'll see on your NYC department store holiday windows walk. You can find lots of other seasonal activities in our Holiday Fun Guide.