When Aunt Bernice’s family purchased a house in Norridge, Illinois she not only got a house, but a commitment to decorate each Christmas. Written into the home sale contract was a clause to uphold the Candy Cane Lane set of rules, specifically to decorate the exterior of the house and yard with festive Christmas cheer. Their street was Pensacola and the long line of neat brick bungalows was transformed into a magical holiday wonderland each December. It was amazing there were no grinches or slackers—for a long, long period of time the street was ablaze with those twinkling miniature bulbs in picture windows, plastic blow mold Santas, prancing reindeer, gift-wrapped front doors, candy cane arches, and giant colored bulbs framing dormers and roof silhouettes. Each year a week before Christmas, Aunt Bernice and Uncle Chester hosted a party with everyone in the family invited. Minor feuds were forgotten, new additions to the family were welcomed with open arms and that bungalow was full to the rafters with Christmas cheer. My mother’s four sisters greeted each other with cut glass tumblers holding “highballs” or “7-7’s” (short for 7-up mixed with Seagrams 7.) The kiddos congregated down in the finished basement which sported a small bumper pool table, and homemade padded benches down each side with built-in storage underneath. There was a small bar and presiding over all was a huge stuffed muskie caught by an uncle during the yearly fishing trip. Fold up tables were laden with strawberry jello molds, homemade potato and macaroni salad, olives platters, cheese platters, cold sandwich makings, and all kinds of cakes and cookies. Even Aunt Helen’s 10-egg chocolate cake put in an appearance–a true masterpiece! When the house got overloaded the kids would grab their jackets and go out front to consider this true miracle of christmas–a black velvet sky twinkling with stars, and at ground level the man-made spectacular light show. A light dusting of show turned the sidewalks into a sparkly sugar dough, and the air was so cold and crisp it was very invigorating. One of the uncles always walked down 10 houses or so to escort Aunt Eleanor to the party, as she had very bad feet and needed someone to lean on.
Time has moved on and Candy Cane Lane is but a sparkling, light-filled childhood memory of a simpler time. A time free of adult responsibilities and concerns. A period when anything seemed possible, even the thought of a red-suited man with a jiggly belly parking his sleigh and reindeer on the roof to slide down the chimney with our fondest wishes. The Aunts and Uncles have gone on to their heavenly reward, and others now reside on Pensacola with their own ideas of Christmas decorations–Mickey Mouse, Minions, dalmation dogs, and grinches. But the one fact remains, that Christmas comes alive in our hearts each December, and we try yet again to recreate those fond memories of childhood–of a black velvet sky pierced with starlight and a twinkling tree covered with colorful lights surrounded by a loving family. MERRY CHRISTMAS!