Credit Thomas Edison for the lights blazing all the way around the northshore from Slidell to Hammond. The custom of using Christmas lights began in 1882, when Edward Johnson, an associate of Edison, hand-wired 80 red, white and blue bulbs and wound them around a rotating Christmas tree - just for the fun of it. In 1895, Grover Cleveland commissioned a White House tree, joyously a-sparkle with Edison bulbs.

The idea didn’t really take hold until a few years later, when Albert Sadacca popularized Christmas tree lighting. Albert was 15 years old when he suggested to his father that, to overcome a sales slump in the hardware store, they sell electric lights for trees. Each individual bulb was hand-painted in bright colors. The new sparkle caught everyone’s fancy. For 70 years, Sadacca’s Noma Electric Company was the leader in holiday lighting.

In every town and city, behind each shimmering miniature bulb, is a person with an idea and a will to make the vision happen.

Winter on the Water

Founder Diane Craik is the main thrust behind the light display on the Mandeville lakefront. “Our decorations are modeled after the ones in City Park in New Orleans,” Diane says. “We hang big ornaments from the trees.”

This is the sixth year for the Mandeville festivities, which will take place through December 22. When the switch is thrown, the lakefront lights up, the pedestrian archway is illuminated, and the ornaments glimmer and shine. Reflected on the water are colorful streaks from boats with tall masts flying twinkling lights.

Music is an integral part of the celebration. Instruments of the Servant, a First United Methodist Church group, and the chorus from Mandeville Elementary School entertain. The culmination of the Winter on the Water will be a Christmas carol sing-a-long at 6 p.m. on December 22.

“The Old Mandeville Business Association has been the backbone of our Christmas lighting program,” Diane says. “We couldn’t do it without them.”

Winter on the Water began, as so many stellar events do, as a Chamber of Commerce project and grew from there. Now the decorating and festivities are a joint venture involving the city, private sponsors and civic associations.

Christmas Under the Stars

It has become one of the city’s favorite traditions. Christmas Under the Stars will return to Griffith Park in Olde Towne Slidell in a ten-day, old-fashioned celebration of the season. The festivities will begin at 6 p.m. on Sunday, December 8, with the ever-popular Parade of Trees lighting the way for Santa’s arrival, and will continue nightly from 6:15 to 9 p.m. through Tuesday, December 17.

Children will enjoy storytelling in the gazebo, with a different storyteller featured every night at 6:15 p.m, followed by a visit to Santa. On the main stage in Griffith Park, live entertainment by school groups, church groups and a variety of local entertainers are sure to delight crowds as they visit the Griffith Park Winter Wonderland. On many of these nights, additional entertainment can be found in the City Auditorium.

Beneath the glow of hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights, a life-sized manger housing a nativity reminds visitors of the real reason for the season. The Recreation Hall offers charming Christmas villages and trains running through snow-covered mountains, plus an adorable array of gingerbread houses that look good enough to eat.

All events offer free admission. Programs featuring a complete schedule are available at the Slidell Cultural Center at 444 Erlanger Street.

A Merry Madisonville Christmas

Located on the banks of the Tchefuncte River, and believed to be one of the oldest towns in Louisiana, Madisonville celebrates the season in its historic district with lighting festivities centered along the river. Opening night, Saturday, December 7 at 6:30 p. m., features carolers, choruses from local churches and special events for children.

Christmas Under the Oaks

In Covington, seven 250-year-old live oak trees on the courthouse lawn on Boston Street are draped with twinkling bulbs for the holidays. More than 100 gleaming stars hang from the tree branches. Santa Claus rides an antique fire truck through Covington’s downtown area and reaches the courthouse square at dark, when the switch is turned on. Haller Ballet and Suzuki Violin Players entertain at the opening festivities.

Old Time Christmas

Ponchatoula has decorations all over town. Councilman C. W. and Mary Barbara Kinchen have enthusiastically carried out this project, their brainchild, for six years. The idea for an old-fashioned Christmas started with Mary Barbara’s remembering her own Christmas childhood experience and wanting today’s youngsters to have the memory of a “down home” Christmas when they grow up.

Initially, the Kinchens had difficulty in getting participation from merchants and performers.

“Now it’s a different story,” Mary Barbara says. “Everybody wants to be in it. We’re on a roll.” With the help of city crews, cypress, oak, and magnolia trees are draped with white lights. Ornaments are hung from poles in the historic district, and colorful bulbs twinkle on the west side of town.

Prizes are given by the Chamber of Commerce for the best decorative use of white lights on buildings. Merchants outline their eaves and windows. Linda Ryan and Linda Depaula of L. E. Wallace Productions decorate the black locomotive, a city landmark parked next to Collinswood Museum. Across the street, the Krewe of Omega lights up the cage of “Old Hardhide,” the alligator in residence.

Entertainment begins at 6 p.m., December 6, in the city hall parking lot. Santa Claus arrives by fire truck at the Collinswood Museum. The lights come on, and festivities begin. Among many performing groups are the Ponchatoula High School band and chorus. The Junior Marine ROTC presents the colors. D. C. Reeves and St. Joseph students entertain with bell choirs. Church groups sing at designated locations, while carolers stroll up and down Pine Street. Shops and restaurants stay open, and people drop in for hot chocolate or to browse in the antique stores.

Christmas Lights,
Holiday Nights

Hammond’s celebration takes place in Zemurray Park, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on December 7. Thousands of lights are wrapped around 81trees. Ornaments in shape of stars, icicles and fairy tale figures hang from the limbs. Surrounding the lake are tin soldiers, candy sticks, jack-in-the-boxes, dancing bears and Cinderellas, to name a few. New ornaments are added every year.

Alma Mitchell of the mayor’s office says the event is a community project. Different corporations donate the ornaments, which cost between $1500 and $2000 each. They are bought in memory of a loved one, as a tribute to a living person, or simply to wish season’s greetings to visitors.

Joe West, a city employee, starts working on the Christmas extravaganza the second week in October and works right up to opening night. The majority of the displays hang from the trees; some are erected on the ground; ten float on the lake.
The entry gate, an archway of lights, is staffed by non-profit organizations. The $3 per car entrance fee is split between the organization and the city. This year Our Daily Bread, Ginger Ford Habitat for Humanity and Casa are staffing the gate.

An added attraction at Zemurray Park is the Peggy Lee, a miniature train. For $1, a visitor can ride the train all around the park and view the lights in comfort. The train was donated to the city by G. F. and Peggy Tycer in 1995.

The next time you “ooh!” and “aaah!” while walking through a sparkling winter wonderland, remember, the magic didn’t just happen. Many dedicated individuals volunteered their time and efforts to add that touch of enchantment to the holiday season.

Copyright 2003, M&L Publishing, all rights reserved.