Escapees November-December 2023

When it comes to holiday decorations, you won’t catch me boasting Martha Stewart-level skills. Still, I do love twinkling lights. You don’t have to ask me twice to take a turn around the park during the winter holiday season.

Rolling Into the Glow of

By EVANNE SCHMARDER #654099

B ut, for maximum sparkle saturation, I’m all about a good holiday light festival. These can be found in small towns or big cities, as major attractions or small celebrations, in snowy climates or warm wonderlands. It’s a delight ful reminder that even when I’m on the road, I can still capture that seasonal glimmer that greeted the winter solstice with a blaze of brilliance. Their goal was clear: to push back against the encroaching darkness by wield ing a symbolic torch of hope amid the wintry chill. Imagine grand bon fi resand fl ickering candles lighting up the night. As time marched on, diverse cultures across the globe embraced and expanded upon this idea. Have you heard of the Yule Log? This tradition hails from Germanic and Scandinavian people, igniting roaring fi res that dispelled the somber shades of winter. makes this time of year so special. Centuries ago, ancient civilizations

German settlers, arriving in 17th-century America, introduced the custom of candle-lit Christmas trees, a somewhat dangerous way to celebrate. In the late 1800s, the advent of electric lights monumentally transformed the holi day landscape. The year 1882 saw Edward Johnson, a prominent fi gure in Thomas Edison’s circle, adorn a Christmas tree with electric lights. With that simple act, the era of holiday fi re hazards gave way to a new way of holiday decorating. 1933 was the fi rst lighting of New York City’s iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. That towering tree, decorated with countless lights, has evolved into a cherished symbol of the holiday season, drawing individuals from near and far. In turn, Americans began to light their homes and neighborhoods with brilliant holiday displays. A new modern tradition was born.

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ESCAPEES Magazine November/December 2023