One of the small towns that is located near my home is nicknamed 'Christmastown USA'. In 1956, a group of men started a tradition at Christmas of hanging color lights on a few trees downtown. Afterwards a local businessman and his wife decided to have all of the trees covered with lights for the first part of Dec. Each of the residents is responsible for their own house and yard. Some people hang a wreath on the door, while others have candles in every window and lights on every tree in their yard. The pond in the center of town has a fountain with different color lights and all of the trees around the pond are lighted also. A new feature is Old Man Winter blowing the chilly air. One of the churches on Main St. always has a nativity with a star attached high above on a pole. Beautiful music plays over a loudspeaker and it is a very moving scene.
When the tradition first started, only red, green and white lights were used. After 9-11, a single tree in town was covered with red, white and blue lights in honor of our military.
The town lights are on each night until just after Christmas. People come from everywhere to see the lights. Churches have hayrides, people rent limos and some people just park and walk through the streets. It is a very beautiful place and there is no charge for admission. You just need a little patience and a willingness to slow down and enjoy the magic and spirit of this time of year.
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