Although retail stores choose to disregard the “no Christmas until after Thanksgiving” rule, most families and even cities wait to put up Christmas decorations until the day after Thanksgiving. This year, however, Christmas décor arrived in Hillsdale before the designated date, but the arrival of the decorations was a welcome one, lighting up the city and bringing good cheer.
According to the Hillsdale Daily News, “Crews said they got an earlier start this year because there are so many decorations this year.”
The extensive decorations include the arch of lights over Highway 99, decorative giant-sized Christmas light-bulbs, and lights around all the light posts.
Even the police station is decked out with a giant wreath with a red bow, a wreath so big that it almost consumes the front of the station.
“It’s very cheery downtown. There’s trees and music. I think the customers are happier and cheerier and sometimes they’ll even sing a little song with the music,” Kathy Newell, the owner of the Blossom Shop in downtown Hillsdale, said,
The Blossom Shop and other stores downtown have created glistening storefronts with snowflakes, icicles, and Christmas trees with ornaments.
Even the streets outside of downtown are also filled with decorations. The Hillsdale Board of Public Utilities was hard at work putting up Christmas decorations all throughout the city streets.
Annette Kinney, the Assistant Director at the Board of Public Utilities reported that with six employees, it took 2.5 weeks to put up all the city decorations.
“While some people think we’ve added a lot,” Kinney mentioned, “we just added the singing trees by the courthouse. Everything else we just moved around.”
The BPU’s work has created a feeling of Christmas cheer in the community.
“I think the lights kind of liven it up,” commented Liz Spaulding, a resident of Hillsdale and employee at Jilly Bean’s Coffee Shop, “There’s a lot more decorations than usual, so it’s very fun.”
Outside the courthouse, several light-trees towered next to real trees with the Nativity scene below.
“I try to take my kids cruising to see the lights,” said Autumn Moore, a local resident, “My kids are three and four and we’ll drive around looking at the decorations and the wreaths. They really like the penguin, so we try to get the red light. And they like the giant snowman out on Carrllton. We go out and count the snowflakes on the light posts.”
“Whenever they start complaining that they’re hungry,” Moore joked, “It’s like ‘Okay! Let’s go look at the lights.’”
Students appreciate the joy and hope Christmas brings despite finals week’s looming.
“I think the lights make the city look very cheery and uplifting during this dark time of finals,” mused Freshman Julia Youngstrom.
The city’s investment in more Christmas decorations seems to have paid off. Those residing in the city can feel the Christmas cheer bringing thoughts of family and home to mind as students and residents alike count the days till Christmas.
