For the last 26 years, Blanche Jones’s house in Hampton, N.B., undergoes a radical transformation around Christmas time.
Jones is known throughout the community for her extravagant Christmas decorations. But for Jones, each piece is steeped in memory.
“I would say mostly because I have things that say, ‘Oh, Dad bought that for me,’ or I bought this for my mother one Christmas,” she told Global News.
“Just different memories — or my husband bought this — and they just all meld together.”
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Located near the town square, her home is adorned with poinsettias and lights. Inside, figurines deck each available surface and eight full-size trees stand watch throughout the four floors of her house, each with their own theme.
Jones says the elaborate decorations are in some ways family tradition, one that stretches back to her parents.
“It’s such a joyful time and a blessed time and I just feel that I want to do this,” Jones said.
“I guess my parents before that did the same thing, so it just followed down generations because I have a lot of my parent’s old decorations and ideas.”
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The process begins after Remembrance Day and takes about two weeks.
Jones’ caregiver Stacy and her close friend, Leonard Goobie, help with the transformation.
“We’ll bring our grandkids over now to see and our children at the time would come over and I’m just amazed at the work that she does and how well it makes Christmas,” said Goobie.
Goobie says that the name Blanche Jones is associated with Christmas around town.
Jones’ husband, Bob Jones, died five years ago, but his memory lives on through the decorations.
Jones says Christmas was always Bob’s favourite time of the year, when his catchphrase “Holy Heavens” could be heard ringing through the halls.
While Bob may be gone, the house remains, and Blanche says the home is decorated just as he would have liked.