Playing Hooky

Yesterday when I should have been writing my blog entry, I was playing hooky with my sister. About this time twenty-four hours ago, we were on our way downtown to see the tree at Marshall Field’s (a.k.a. Macy’s) then have some lunch and walk through the Kris Kringle Mart in front of Daley Plaza. I took lots of pictures with my iPhone, but unfortunately most didn’t turn out. With close up shots—and by close up, I mean literally a couple of feet in front of me—my phone takes fine pictures. But for anything beyond that, they’re mainly blurry. It could be operator error, but if so my sister has the same disability because the ones she took didn’t turn out any better than the ones I snapped. Oh, well, bear with me for some not-so-perfect-pictures, but you’ll be able to tell my intent. 🙂

 

The first picture I took was of the big Christmas tree that sits in the center of the Walnut Room at Marshall Field’s/Macy’s. For as long as I can remember, it’s been a tradition in my family to go downtown to see the tree. We used to go the day after Thanksgiving, to see the window decorations and the tree. Lots of memories in that building, which is why I still call that particular store Marshall Field’s rather than Macy’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evidently at least the window dresser who works for Macy’s has recognized the sentimentality many Chicagoans still hold for Marshall Field’s, because below the iconic Field’s Clock they’ve decided to include a copy of the building’s corner marker, labeling it as Marshall Field’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People have been meeting beneath the Marshall Field’s Clock on State Street since 1897!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was glad to see the city of Chicago hasn’t succumbed to the pressures so many other cities have and still allows a nativity scene. Some people might find it surprising that Chicago, considered one of the most corrupt cities in the nation, is a holdout against the war on Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

The Kris Kringle Market is held in the shadow of Chicago’s Picasso, in Daley Plaza. It’s like a European craft show, with ornaments, wood carvings and food choices in the tradition of various European countries.

 

I vaguely remember all of the talk surrounding the Picasso sculpture when it went up in the mid-sixties—people weren’t sure what to call it! Was it a monkey? No one seems to know, and Picasso himself didn’t say. Interestingly, the Field Foundation donated some of the money for material used for the sculpture, and even though Picasso was offered $100,000 for his talent, he refused because he wanted it to be a gift to the city.

 

 

So that was my day! It’s always fun to do something out of the ordinary, especially during this holiday season. By the way, did you ever wonder where the phrase “playing hooky” came from? I did, so I went to AskYahoo.com and here’s what they said:

Dear Yahoo!:

Why do we call skipping work or school “playing hooky”?

Carl Richmond, Virginia

Dear Carl:

No one is quite sure about the origin of the phrase “playing hooky.” We consulted the top three online word sleuths and found a number of intriguing explanations.  The Phrase Finderoffers a few possible origins, including “to hook it” or “to escape or make off.” To “hook something” is also an old slang term for stealing, as in “stealing a day off.”  The Word Detectivedates the first printed use of the phrase to 1848 and relates it to the 19th-century phrase “hooky-crooky,” which means “dishonest or underhanded.” The parent of this phrase is “by hook or by crook,” meaning “by any means necessary.”  Word Origins suggests that the phrase comes from hoekje, the Dutch name for hide and seek. The phrase seems to be waning in popularity with the younger folks these days. Most kids simply refer to skipping school as “cutting.” But regardless of what it’s called, the time-honored practice of playing hooky seems here to stay.