5. Fifth Avenue Department Store Windows

Ornate holiday window displays in Manhattan department stores are a tradition that dates back to 1874 when Macy’s debuted its first Christmas display. This year, many of the store windows focus less on expensive gifts and luxury items, and more on giving back to the New Yorkers who have helped the city weather this difficult year.

At Macy’s, you’ll find flashing tributes to frontline workers. At Saks Fifth Avenue, the windows depict COVID-era holiday scenes around New York City, from the Roosevelt Island tram to Dyker Heights. At Bloomingdale’s, you can smell the window scenes! Each monochromatic display represents part of the “Give Happy” campaign and scents of peppermint and pine are piped into the streets. Take a virtual tour of the 2020 window displays through our photographs here!