Feeling Festive? Holiday Trees Across the City Now Beckon

Let others fight their way through the madding crowds at stores today—you take the more peaceful path and shuffle off to see one--or several—well-known Christmas trees now alight across New York.
For starters, there’s the wonderfully quirky Origami Tree at the American Museum of Natural History (Central Park West and 77th Street). This year’s theme, Origami A-Z, features folded paper letters that alphabetically correspond to an animal. (Yup, the aardvark is there, and so is the Tasmanian wolf. More than 500 volunteers, including students from Goddard Riverside’s Head Start program, made the ornaments. Call (212) 769-5100 for more details.
Over on the east side, The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Neapolitan Baroque crèche and tree are now open to the public. The 18th-century nativity scene features beautifully clothed attendant figures and angels hovering above the crèche, as well as recorded holiday music and periodic tree-lighting ceremonies. Get as close as you can (without pitching headfirst into the tree). The details on the costumes are exquisite. (Call 212 879-5500).
And for a tree that’s really away from the midtown frenzy, The South Street Seaport Tree Lighting ceremony is today (Pier 17; Fulton and South Streets). The tree lighting occurs at 6 pm, but festive events will be held throughout the day. At 3 and 5 PM, for instance, the Neptune High School Marching Band will perform. (Check out southstreetseaport.com for more info.)