Member Profiles

Illuminating Christmas
By Meagan Seele

Let's take a short journey back to Christmas past. Imagine the anticipation of coming home on a cold Christmas Eve night, warming up over a hot cup of chocolate and lighting the candles on the Christmas tree. Until 1882 candles were the only available choice for lighting a tree, and because of the danger of fire, the candles could only be burned for a few minutes. The first electrically lighted tree was displayed in New York. It consisted of eighty lights encased in glass eggs. The red, white and blue lights twinkled and dazzled all evening long and a tradition was born. However, it would be fifty years or more before most Americans would have Christmas trees with electric lights.

The art of lighting up Christmas today would be unimaginable to those who started out by placing a few candles on a tree. Today, people not only light up their trees but strings of lights adorn their porches, fences and even whole houses. The lights can be timed, tuned and animated. One area couple has perfected the art of decorating with lights in a creative and tasteful way. Rick and Wanda Byrnes of rural Cresco began nearly 20 years ago by decorating trees in their front yard and incorporated a large star at the top of their grain leg. Because of the role machinery plays in their life and close ties to agriculture the logical next step was to feature pieces of machinery outlined by Christmas lights. The first year it was a tractor. The display just naturally grew from there.

Residents of Cresco begin driving north to enjoy the display when the star at the top of the grain leg is first illuminated. This signals that all is in readiness. There are 40-50 thousand individual lights twinkling from tractors, a combine, a sprayer and other machines that line the driveway of their farm. The Byrne's have counted as many as 100 cars per night as well as tour buses that venture out to enjoy the display.

While we can all enjoy this work of art, we should also appreciate the hard work and commitment it takes to offer up this visual delight. Each year since 1984 the Byrne's have invested two to three weeks of time, not just in stringing lights but in checking the thousands of bulbs, getting the machinery washed and lined up, and arranging the display.

"The hardest part is getting all the lights working and keeping them working," says Rick. Their reward is the enjoyment the community gets from this unique display.

We've definitely come a long way from burning wax candles on an evergreen tree to modern Christmas lighting. And the Byrne's display is a "sparkling" example.

*To learn more about the first Christmas tree lighting display, visit www.oldchristmaslights.com/timeline.htm