While you sip your hot chocolate as you watch last week’s snow turn into a grotesque grey slush, it is difficult to imagine that there are better places to be during the holiday season than New York City. Even if you shoved your way through department stores (#WearAMask) or shoveled your way through ice walls, the glimpses of light that peak out through our neighbors’ windows fill us all with mirth.
My favorite part of this time of year is that it is an appropriate time to use the word “mirth”. I do not mean to mock the word with a Seinfeld “what’s the deal with that” bit. Rather, it is a fitting word that can only perfectly describe this time of year, which is why 2xParked will share some seasonal mirth the only way it knows how: data.
A Real Treet
Nothing epitomizes the New York City holiday mirth more than the tree at Rockefeller Center. Although shamed earlier this month for being a Charlie Brown-esque twig with a resident owl, it has since flourished into the mirthiest of mirth. At 75 feet tall from Oneonta, how does this tree compare to past trees? Fortunately, Wikipedia has data for me to take a look.
Since World War II, the average tree height is 73 feet tall, meaning that this 2020 tree is in the top ⅓ of trees all time (aka one of the taller trees). We notice though that the height distribution is skewed by the year, so it might not be a fair comparison to compare this year’s trees to all the trees.
There was a dip in tree size in the 1950s-1970s. During this era, different types of trees were used. Since 1982, Norway Spruces have been used exclusively, but in the era prior, balsam firs and white spruces, trees much smaller, were also considered.
After the other trees were eliminated from consideration, trees continued to increase in size until about 1990. So a more apt comparison might be to compare our current tree to other Norway Spruces after 1990.
The average tree height in that period was 78 feet high. This means our 2020 tree is actually smaller than what we expect, at around the 45th percentile in height.
Although I do not have a measurement of mirth, I imagine there is little correlation between tree height and mirth, so enjoy your time in NYC!
Joy to the Music
Let us transition from Rockefeller to Rock ‘n Roll. Every year, we hear the same old mix of tunes. Although the assortment of songs is similar year-over-year, each song does not hold the same weight in the hearts of New Yorkers. That is why 2xParked decided to measure the top holiday songs of 2020.
Using a pre-made list of holiday songs on Wikipedia (featuring nearly 500 historical holiday songs), I looked at the Google Trends searches for those songs in the New York area for the month of December. Here are the top 10 New York City holiday songs of 2020 with their indexed google trends score:
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - 100
Silent Night - 90
Let it Snow - 87
Winter Wonderland - 75
Last Christmas - 73
Frosty the Snowman - 64
Jingle Bells - 62
Joy to the World - 57
O Holy Night - 51
All I Want for Christmas is You - 49
Just like in all other aspects of life in 2020, this is a bit of a strange list when compared to the past few years.
We usually expect to see Silent Night, Jingle Bells, and Frosty the Snowman on top. This is the second time since 2012 that not all the songs have featured in the top-4. One explanation might be because the data was captured on December 19. At that moment in time, Frosty had only been broadcasted three times at an inconvenient schedule for children. Why would CBS show Frosty at 9pm? I imagine searches for Frosty might increase when FreeForm shows it several times starting the evening of December 19.
I also imagine the stresses of 2020 had something to do with the rise of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, which had not been in the top-10 since 2018. Unlike the other songs on the list, which are filled with mirth, there is a bit of a melancholy tone which reflects the WWII era when it was first written and performed. Judy Garland sang the song to provide a bit of hope to the American soldiers overseas.
MayorModel
We have seen consistently each week that Eric Adams and Scott Stringer have led the mayor race model. This comes as little surprise since both candidates are both amongst the most well-known and have the most endorsements.
I remember the wild 2013 election where you could not walk more than two steps without running into one of the candidates. Whether it was Anthony Weiner marching in a parade in Park Slope or Christine Quinn campaigning a corner in the Upper West Side, each candidate was out in the field shaking hands and kissing babies.
For obvious reasons, this will unlikely happen in 2021. There have not been a shortage of mayoral Zoom forums, but these require people who are already active to tune it. The real challenge for the second tier of candidates will be how they can initiate interest and differentiate themselves without being out in the field. This means public relations and social media will have added importance between now and June.
"Rockefeller Tree" was drawn by Ink&thyme, drawing life's unforgettable moments. For unique art drawn just for you, check them out on Facebook and on Instagram.
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