Christmas in Youngstown

[Defend Youngstown]

Definitely. The plan is to conduct the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony (in conjunction w/ First Night Youngstown) on Friday, Dec. 5th 4pm in Central Square. I'll have notification out by the end of the week. There will also likely be a sign placed in Central Square w/ event details as well. Stay tuned.

[jay]

After PK leaves his job with the city, will there still be a Christmas event in downtown Youngstown this year?

[Smokey362]

Someone should copy these and mail them to the Mayor of Youngstown AND the City Council.

[Towntalk]

Allow me to go back 58 years ago when I spent my first Christmas in Youngstown.

Downtown Youngstown was a winter wonderland with Santa's from the Volunteers of America on street corners along with the ladies from the Salvation Army, and in front of the Wick Building the Salvation Army band held forth playing Christmas carols.

On Central Square was the community Christmas Tree and a life size manger scene. Choirs from local churches would gather there to sing Christmas music.

No matter which direction you looked, store windows were filled with the Christmas spirit, and brightly lit, with many having speakers set up outside to play Christmas music.

For a ten year old it was a real wonderland never to be forgotten.

When you walked into any of the department stores the first smell that hit you was the wonderful odors from the cosmetic department, but for children it was off to Santa Land and the toy departments that looked for all the world like Santa's workshop.

Even the many 5 & 10's Christmas took on a whole new look in keeping with the season.

Sadly those glorious days are gone, but not forgotten by those of us who saw them through the eyes of a child.

[Leah]

What a great story about the tiny nativity scene someone put under the tree...maybe if we all did that...and there were a ton of tiny nativity scenes put under the tree by citizens, people would get the point.

[Smokey362]

Christmas isn't the birthday of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, or Santa Clause....it's the day that was set aside a very LONG time ago to celebrate the birth of the son of GOD.....remember God?  That's who you talked to when you were young....and everyone had a job...and Downtown Youngstown HAD a Nativity Scene......amazing isn't it?  Does anyone read this stuff?  Just curious.

[Elmo-Ytown]

Was the Nativity scene owned by the city? Where is it now? What year did we stop putting it up? How much for a new one?

Maybe this is the year to start displaying it again.

I ask again, does the city have a warehouse somewhere where it keeps all of this cool old stuff?

Does anyone have a picture of the nativity scene in downtown?

[Smokey362]

No i'm only saying that when there were THOUSANDS of people on the sidewalks in Downtown Youngstown at Christmas time, there were stores to shop in, the mills were booming and everyone was happy...there WAS a Nativity Scene infront of the Downtown Youngstown Christmas Tree.  I really DO feel that it had something to do with the prosperity.  I was told several years ago that some people complained that the child, Joseph, Mary, and the Wise Men were white.  Hey, paint them all GREEN....at least the thought and feeling of Christmas would be there for all to see again.  Campbell, and Struthers have Nativity Scenes each Christmas why not Youngstown?

[Elmo-Ytown]

Are you saying that good God fearing people are more likely to have a job?

I'm inclined to agree...

[Smokey362]

Back when I was a kid, my parents, (had no car), we took the bus downtown to see the Nativity Scene near the Youngstown Christmas Tree.  For MANY MANY years now, there has been no Nativity Scene in the Downtown area.  This is not good.
  Back when I was a kid, there was a Nativity Scene, and EVERYONE had a job.  Does this tell you something?  Hint!!!