One of my earliest and best holiday memories is looking at The Nutcracker themed windows at Marshall Field’s (sniff, RIP) in Chicago with my mom. Stores know that these windows are a source of nostalgia for a lot of people–and they hope the pleasant endorphins draw you in for a bit of shopping, too.

No one does holiday windows like the NYC department stores. In most cases teams of 30-100 people start planning and conceptualizing the windows a full year in advance.

This season, there are plenty of spectacular holiday windows to ogle. We chatted with the creatives behind the designs at stores like Macy’s, Barneys, Henri Bendel and more, and learned how make that fake snow (spoiler alert: Kosher salt, lots of it) and how many times a snow globe can be turned over in its lifetime.

From the traditional to the avant garde, click through to check out all the amazing holiday windows in NYC this season, and learn a few secrets and fun facts along the way.

Photos: Courtesy/Getty