Watch the video above: Lighting up the holidays
SASKATOON – It wouldn’t feel like Christmas in Saskatchewan without the snow, the lights just add to the magic.
For some residents in Saskatoon having a couple of strings of Christmas bulbs on their home isn’t enough, their decorations light up the whole neighbourhood.
It can be as simple and subtle as running lights along the top of the house, dressing up a tree and putting reindeer decorations on the yard.
Or you can be like John Reddekopp.
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His first animated display went up in 2008. It’s become so large he sets it up at the end of September, before it gets cold.
“It’s not really an effort if its something you enjoy doing but we put in quite a few hours,” said John Reddekopp, Christmas enthusiast.
And a lot of lights, close to 50,000.
John is not alone. Driving around Saskatoon you can find other homes a glow, some with lights synced up to music you can listen to in your car.
“The neighbors sure look forward to it, it’s something they look forward to every year and it sort of gives us incentive,” said Reddekopp.
While some people take it to the extreme, some neighborhoods have a theme.
Murphy Crescent turns into “Smurphy” Crescent. For over 30 years Dale Peckenpaugh and his wife have been organizing it.
“There’s always somebody with a different display up each year. One nice thing that we’ve always found is people that move out of the neighbourhood have a tendency to leave their Smurfs for the people that are coming in,” said Peckenpaugh.
It has become a holiday tradition for the creators to brighten up the season for others and add to their own traditions.
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