One day in New York - along Fifth Avenue

To see what we saw before this moment click here - One day in New York - beginning...

That day we moved across New York like the shuttle moves in the loom. We were zigzagging between the Park Ave and the Avenue of the Americas and slowly moving up toward Central Park.

 

The first time we were about to cross Fifth Ave, we stopped frozen. Streets of New York were surprisingly empty this morning, but not there. The Fifth Ave was fenced and a huge crowd filled all space between buildings on both sides of the road. We moved closer still amazed... we looked at the people and GOT it! The Easter Parade! The famous New York Easter Parade! At this moment we realized it was Easter Sunday and by tradition, the Fifth Ave was full of the people showing up and looking at ;).

First time the Easter Parade took place in New York in the 1880s. Having new clothes for Easter had deep roots in European customs. Sacred times called for special forms of dress — material markers of holiness and celebration. Distinctive garb for Easter, like one's "Sunday best" and the special vestments of priests, for centuries showed the solemnity and sacredness of the season. Now this parade doesn't look that impressive, but our habits changed during the last hundred years and now most of the people are here to see, but not to show their new and nice clothes.

 

But some are still trying to impress the spectators with their outfits. And some emptied the grand-parents chests and showed up wearing vintage or even antique suits and dresses...

 

We had a lot of plans for this day so we crossed Fifth Ave and continued on our route. After a while we did it again a few blocks down the road and again... and again...

Many times this day we crossed Fifth Ave and really enjoyed the colorful and good looking crowd where people were walking, posing, taking pictures, staring, gazing, dancing, talking and having a really good time. That was absolutely amazing!

To leave the 5th Ave and continue exploring NY click here - One day in New York - back on track and through the heart of the city

Pictures were taken on April 20, 2014.