THE EVE

December 24th 2018

6:30PM

The annual one hour for an open Gramercy Park caroling event was insane this year. The line to get in snaked slowly, twice around the perimeter, while inside it was crammed full of festive bodies,

so I listened to some of the songs from across the street sitting comfortably on an empty stoop. Unfortunately there was no snow for the dreamers of "White Christmas. Being one of the actual old timers, I've seen many since 1970 and can attest, it's no longer a neighborly affair, but has ballooned into a much tweeted tourist attraction and is aggressively jolly...Ho ho ho.

Meanwhile, around the corner,

outside on the plaza of Epiphany Church

a manger awaits the baby Jesus.

Though, the logic of this tableau mystifies. How can mother Mary be kneeling there when she should be giving birth?

Faith is the miracle.

~*~