Is it cold in New York City in December? Does it snow at Christmas? From which day do I find all the Christmas lights in New York?
These are just a small part of the many questions we receive every day on our instagram page from those who are planning a Christmas trip to New York.
So we decided to collect for you the top five most interesting questions and share with you our answers, hoping that they will be helpful to you!
Question #1: Starting on what day are the streets of New York City fully decorated for Christmas?
The Christmas season in New York officially begins the day after Thanksgiving. In fact, you will already find the main skating rinks (Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center) and some of the main Christmas decorations, such as the Saks 5th Avenue light show. But our biggest advice is to wait until the beginning of December, because it is only then that you will really find all the Christmas lights.
Question #2: When is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony?
Traditionally, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is unveiled on the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving. In 2021, for example, the ceremony will take place on Wednesday, December 1.
Question #3: Is it cold in New York City in December?
The answer to this question is “it depends.” There have been some really really cold months of December and others with absolutely mild temperatures. Certainly the first part of the month is warmer than the last. If you are a person who hates the cold but you want to enjoy all the Christmas lights in New York, then we suggest you to book your vacation in the first two weeks of December.But as we always tell our followers on Instagram “always expect in New York what you would never expect anywhere else”. This is true in everything you do in New York.
Question #4: Does it snow in December in New York City?
Again, as with the previous question, the answer is “it depends”. What is certain is that the months when you are most likely to find NYC with snow are January and February. However, this does not mean that it never snows in December. For example, in 2020 there was a huge snowfall on the night of December 16. Let’s hope that will happen again this year. Christmas in New York with snow is an indescribable experience.
Question #5: Is it expensive to visit New York in December?
The answer to this question is clearly “yes”. New York is always expensive, no matter what time of year you visit. Hotels (the nice ones) are expensive, attractions are expensive and eating in New York in good restaurants (not fast-food) is expensive. That said, what we can recommend to those who want to visit NYC and enjoy some (not all) of the Christmas decorations, is to get a ticket for the first week of January. On average, flights are cheaper, as well as hotels. Of course you won’t see all the Christmas decorations, but you will see some of them (even important ones) such as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree (they usually turn it off during the first week of January) and the ice skating rink (it stays open during the month of January) as well as the Winter Village in Bryant Park.
We really hope you found these answers helpful.
Feel free to message us on Instagram in case you have any other questions and we’ll be sure to answer them and help you plan your trip to New York.
See you soon with a new article on our blog.
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