1. The first recorded Christmas celebration in New York occurred in 1697, when a small group of Dutch Reformed settlers gathered to sing hymns and exchange gifts in what is now known as the Financial District.
2. In 1790, George Washington spent Christmas in New York during his first term as president. He attended a service at St. Paul’s Chapel and had dinner with the governor at the time, George Clinton, in a nearby tavern.
3. The first organized Christmas parade in New York City, known as the Santa Claus Parade, took place in 1924. It featured floats, costumed characters, and Santa Claus himself.
4. On December 25, 1977, the infamous “Son of Sam” serial killer, David Berkowitz, was apprehended in Yonkers, New York. He had terrorized the city for over a year by shooting and killing six people.
5. In 1982, a nor’easter struck New York on Christmas Day, dumping over a foot of snow on the city and causing widespread transportation disruptions. The snowstorm was so severe that it was dubbed the “Christmas blizzard.”