Christmas Windows
I drove by The Bay on Queen the other day and thought, “Hey! They’ve got Christmas Windows!!” For a long time, Simpsons, later The Bay, had not done Christmas Windows; you remember, those windows filled with tableaux of Christmas stories ancient and Victorian. Instead, they’d fill them with displays of their goods, dressed up to look more festive than usual. And so I had to go back to check these Windows out. And this is what I saw: Narnia.
Now I know Narnia is a Christian fable written by C.S. Lewis, but these windows are taken from the movie, and quite frankly, they’re not Christmas. I’m not going to rant about how Christmas has become that x-word that no-one, especially a commercial establishment or school, must say. Instead, I’m going to say it’s a shame.
After the Santa Claus parade, I couldn’t wait to see Mr. Claus in person, get my photo taken, then bundle up for the trek out into the deep snow and frozen air to see what Simpsons had dreamed up that year. Christmas windows were intricate settings filled with moving characters and hidden spaces you gleefully hunted to find and peek into, telling a traditional story we all knew so well…and sometimes not. But that was the beauty of it, being enchanted by something new or familiar, fighting with the crowds to see and drink in all the details before your parents finally hustled you away.
Video and movies didn’t kill the windows. Children are still fascinated by stories and by the many different ways imaginative adults can bring them alive. But Narnia just doesn’t cut it. These windows aren’t even up to the standard of when I was young (and we won’t say when that was, as I think I’ve already dated myself!). They aren’t attracting a crowd, not even a few for nostalgia sake. But at least it’s a start back to what used to be. And maybe some day kids will experience that old enchantment.
Related posts:
If disappointed you may like to view the David Jones Christmas windows 2006 in Sydney. There are some great shots of them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly
They are worth the view and the photos are excellent with hidden secrets revealed by the designer and creator.
Thank you for the link! Now, those are what I call Christmas windows!!