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TMCNet: Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Ralph De La Cruz column: C'mon holiday lights, get us out of this funk

[November 23, 2008]

Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Ralph De La Cruz column: C'mon holiday lights, get us out of this funk

(Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nov. 23--We're not waiting.

Not this year. Not after the past couple of months.

Politics that got too personal. An economy that got too crazy. A war without end. An America without easy credit.

These are the kind of times that call for drinking, shopping or chocolates. But my head can't afford the first, my wallet can't afford the second and my body can't afford the third.

We're putting up lights. Christmas lights, that is.

Now, protocol normally dictates you MUST wait until after Thanksgiving to begin putting up lights.

But protocol wasn't meant for years like this. We need the lights.

They may only be wires, electricity and colored bulbs. But when it comes together, it can make you feel all hot chocolaty inside.

"They're like any symbol," Sarah Van Raalten said of Christmas lights. "Put them all together and they send a message."

She was standing with her husband, Chris, and their 11-month-old daughter, Caroline, enjoying the glow of a house already in full-watt glory.

Over the years, the house has become an icon on Riverland Road in Fort Lauderdale, its front yard crammed with dozens and dozens of lighted plastic statues. Santas and snowmen and manger scenes and a full-sized, reindeer-pulled sled on top of 20-foot wooden poles. And so much more.

It takes Beverly and Moe Zicarelli a full month to put on the kitschy spectacular.

"We're not officially open yet," Beverly said when I knocked on her door.

She still has to finish the inside of the house, which they actually open up to the public. The inside will have 250 animated items, including four reindeer that can hold up to 250 pounds.

"The kids like to ride them -- some adults, too," she said. "All of [the animated figures] have buttons that kids can push and make them move."

They expect the showcase to be completed by Dec. 1. But their efforts aren't confined to November and December. Every year, after the holidays, Beverly and Moe snatch up Christmas items on sale. So every year, the yard gets a little more crowded. It's 19 years crowded now.

I've noticed the Zicarelli's yard is just one of several throughout my neighborhood that are already lighted. Even Halloween prompted an unprecedented number of homes in our little part of the world to put up lights -- only they were orange.

People are looking for an excuse to get into the holiday season, to tap into a little cheer after months of bad news. I sure am.

Was that the reason for the Zicarelli's earlier-than-usual start?

"We just needed more time," Beverly said sheepishly. "But it has been a hard year."

She nodded toward Caroline, who was admiring a Santa.

"Really, that smile is why we do it," she said.

And you don't have to be 11 months old to feel it. I enjoy the Zicarelli's light show every time I drive past.

"You know," Beverly continued, "the greatest thing is coming down the street, seeing the lights and getting excited. And realizing it's your house."

We are definitely not waiting.

Ralph De La Cruz's column appears Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Local section and in Sunday Lifestyle. He can be reached at rdelacruz@SunSentinel.com, 561-243-6522 or 954-356-4727.

To see more of the Sun Sentinel or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sun-sentinel.com/.

Copyright (c) 2008, Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

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