Pillsbury Press: Philadelphia Holiday Traditions

Before cell phones made connecting with people easy, Philadelphians would say to each other "meet me at the eagle," the eagle being the one located in the center court inside the Wanamaker Building on Market Street in Center City.

Dedicated by President Taft in 1911 when it opened, Wanamaker was THE department store in Philadelphia. In addition to the statue of the eagle, the iconic building boasted the Grand Court Organ featuring 27,850 pipes, making it second only behind the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ in Atlantic City, NJ (33,112 pipes), and nearly three times the size of the one in the Sydney Opera House (10,888). Sydney's claim to fame is it is the largest mechanical key action organ (way to try to claim a largest status).

Since the 1950s, Wanamaker has hosted a Christmas show throughout the holidays as a way to attract the returning WWII soldiers and their young families. It began with a fountain and light show. In the 1960s the light show we know began to evolve with the March of the Toys song. It was hosted by a local newscaster.

In 1998 the soundtrack became digital. A couple of years later the fountains were finally drained and a new computerized system was installed. his is about the time Don took me to it. I can't believe we never even thought to take Ashley to see the show. Decembers were too busy.

In 2007 Wanamaker was purchased by Macy's. They upgrade the light show to LED. A couple of years later Julie Andrews becomes the narrator, as she still was this year.

The updates on the Wanamaker Organ friend's site ends with 2022. Earlier this year, Macy's closed the location. Many wondered "what happens to the eagle?" "what about the light show that has been a tradition for decades?"

As Macy's was closing, Uncle Bob passed away. Uncle Bob loved old department stores. I always thought of him as more of a New York City fan since there was a bus stop a few houses away that would have whisked him into Manhattan in about 40 minutes. I learned at his funeral he had a soft spot for Wanamaker's in Philadelphia, and its eagle. When I heard the light show was returning for one more year, I told Don we need to see it live again.

This year I learned there is a second part to the light show: Dickens Village. The village is a collection of animatronic statues set in scenes based on the 1843 novel, "A Christmas Carol." It has been a Philadelphia tradition since 1956, perhaps making me the last person in the area to learn about it. The statues are completely dated by today's standards, but, as Don reminded me, these pre-date anything Walt Disney created, including "It's a Small World" and "Great Moments with Abraham Lincoln," both of which debuted at the 1964 World's Fair in New York City.

As we walked through the display I heard a woman say "don't forget the kitty." She said they've been visiting this display for decades. To make it more interesting they look for obscure items and take pictures of them. Ah...the joy of cell phone cameras helping to turn the ordinary into a treasure hunt.

Personally, I reminisced about the year Ashley played Ebenezer Scrooge in her school's version of "A Christmas Carol." I could picture her face in place of the statue.

This year they required advanced reservations to walk through the Village. I feel this heightened the excitement, it certainly got us to make a commitment and go even though it was freezing outside. The light show was still accessible without a reservation, but they might ask you to wait for the next show if the space was too crowded. We made our reservation while in Belgium for the day after we returned. It turns out that is one of the few days Don is not working at REI between now and Christmas. Reservations become available at 5 pm five days in advance. I wanted a late time since I knew we would be jetlagged and busy. As a bonus, the organ puts on a 40-minute live concert six days a week following the 12:30 pm and 4:30 pm light shows. We wanted to time our visit to hear the 4:45 performance. We timed it just right. We were allowed in to the Dickens Village early, and because we had tickets for that, we could stand and watch the light show from the third floor balcony.

Standing next to us was a young mother who was introducing her 3-year old daughter to the show. I could tell she has fond memories of her parents taking her to the show. Her parents were tending to her infant during the light show. Her little girl wasn't quite as interested, but that wasn't the point. The tradition had been passed down. Will the little girl grow up and take her children to the show? Will the show still exist? How will it change? How will technology change?

Don and I walked around the indoor holiday market and posed (like most everyone else) for a selfie next to the eagle. On our way in and back out to the car, we walked through the outdoor market near City Hall. After spending a week looking at Christmas Markets in four different cities, we felt like experts. I saw two booths selling scarves similar to the one I bought for ten euros ($12) for $25-$32. I also saw alpaca socks. I did not see the cut record guy I usually see in Philadelphia, but this year saw in Bruges and Antwerp. Until I saw him overseas, I thought he was a unique seller. Turns out, there are very few unique booths. This market differed in the wide variety of Philadelphia merchandise. I wish the same had been true in the other cities! Philadelphia had less food merchants than the ones in Europe.

The newly christened Wanamaker Building will be closed for two years as they transform the interior. There is talk of keeping the ground floor retail and adding apartments on the upper levels. We'll see what happens. The plan is for Dickens Village and the light show to return at that time, but plans don't always work out, which is why I wanted to see it one last time.

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