As an atheist, I must admit that I have a great fondness for
the Christmas Season. It is not for any religious reason. My parents,
culturally Jewish, but definitely not believers, always celebrated Christmas.
They loved giving gifts and spending time with friends and family. So, every
December, the season sets off my desire to bring those around me together, and
I search for the right gift. That is why I go to the Holiday Market at Union Square in New York City.
Christmas Markets started in the towns and cities of Germany
in the 14th century. During the four weeks of Advent, towns would
host markets that sold seasonal foods, drink and goods. They would also have
music, singers and a nativity scene. The Union Square Holiday Market started in
1995. Today, over 100 vendors sell their wares at the south end of the park
along 14th street. As I walk along the several rows of vendors there
is a wide range of goods for sale. Here are a few that caught my eye:
Kayrock – is a silk-screening and printing factory that is based in Greenpoint
Brooklyn. Kayrock produces stationary, posters, tee-shirts and much more. Many
of the goods, especially the tees, have a decidedly progressive message, so you
get good quality and good ideas at the same time.
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Posters |
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Tee-Shirts |
Corkbuds – this imaginative company up-cycles
used wine corks as homes for plant cuttings. The corks provide a base for the
soil that allows the plants to breath and also holds moisture. Best of all,
they are really cute. When the plants grow, they can be replanted into a proper
pot.
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Some corked succulants |
Black Lamb – Brooklyn
based artist Rachele RouquiĆ© creates some of the “punniest” art for sale. Her
works are all hand made of cut paper and collage. At the market she is selling
mostly greeting cards, although there are some larger pieces available.
Real. Weird. Art. - Joey Allgood produces
wonderful, if surreal art, but then again, the name of hos company proves to be
truth in advertising. My favorite is a picture of a banana in a gorilla suit in
a shower. All of his work will make you go HMMMMM.
Eve Devore – Ms. Devore would like you to
ponder on this idea – “What would you look like if you were and owl?” In fact,
she has “owlized” many icons, from The Statue of Liberty to Winston Churchill.
Her work shows an excellent sense of humor.
La Muse Kalliope – Artist Jean Lin has designed a colorful universe of lovely beings to
help us get through the day. Little musette will inspire creativity.
Dragonettes and Unicornettes help make our wishes come true. These eclectic
little additions to your home are all hand-made and in fact they are
interactive.
Tribal Home – Looking for piece of Middle
Eastern style for your home? Tribal Home’s stall is over-flowing with lamps,
bowls, and other home accessories that will bring a splash of color to your
living quarters.
La Savonnerie – Offering a wide variety of soaps from Provance, France,
the stall of La Savonnerie is both colorful and aromatic. Savon de Marseille
are produced according to traditional methods dating back to the 1600’s. They
are made from olive and vegetable oils, sea salts and the alkaline ash from
burnt sea plants.
These are just a few of the wonderful vendors at the Union
Square Holiday Market. But it is just a taste of what you can find when you
visit. Head over before the market closes on December 24th.
Getting There: The market is located at Union
Square – 14th street between University Place and Broadway. You can
take the 4, 5, 6, N, R, Q trains to the Union Square stop. You can also take
any of the M14 busses cross town.
Strolling through our city holiday markets is a wonderful way of capturing the giving spirit--not necessarily big and fancy, but thoughtful and meaningful gifts.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had known about this earlier. I am going to miss it this year.
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