Carols at the Lighthouse, Candles in Your Hair
10-24-2012
CAROLS AT THE LIGHTHOUSE, CANDLES IN YOUR HAIR:
CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS IN TRAVERSE CITY
By MIKE NORTON
TRAVERSE CITY, MI – It’s not easy wearing lighted candles on your head.
Nevertheless, every year in mid-December a young girl in a long white robe wanders the grounds of Traverse City’s former mental asylum delivering warm sweet rolls to holiday shoppers. And yes, in keeping with an old tradition, she wears a wreath of lighted candles in her hair in honor of St. Lucy, an early Christian martyr whose feast falls on Dec. 13.
It’s all part of the annual Santa Lucia Day in the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, the unique residential/retail development in what was once this Michigan town’s mental institution. Accompanied by flute music and carrying trays of fresh rolls from the local bakery, the young St. Lucy stand-in is one of the highlights of the holiday season in Traverse City.
Not so long ago the picturesque summer resort towns on Michigan’s northwestern coast pretty much emptied out after Labor Day, leaving the exhausted natives with lots of time on their hands to contemplate the prospect of another long, quiet winter. They responded by putting a great deal of energy and creativity in their holiday observances.
These days, thanks to a growing population and a thriving winter recreation industry, the Traverse City region is quite lively even in midwinter. Fortunately, many of the traditional celebrations are still going strong – and a few more have even been added.
Christmas preparations here start as early as October, when local churches, clubs and artist’s cooperatives begin staging the holiday arts and crafts fairs for which the region is justly famous. The most spectacular of these is undoubtedly the Nov. 9-10 juried show held by ArtCenter Traverse City, but a close second is the Dec. 1 “Merry Marketplace” at the Old Art Building in the village of Leland, where local artisans and growers offer fresh and dried holiday wreaths, jewelry, specialty foods, pottery, ornaments, cards and handknit items.
Gift-buying plays a big part in most holiday preparations, and in Traverse City’s charming downtown district they start the shopping season on Nov. 30 with a big outdoor extravaganza that involves carol-singing, the lighting of the community Christmas tree, and the arrival of Santa Claus on a bright red antique fire engine. Downtown merchants have also cleverly devised separate men’s and women’s shopping nights that include refreshments and prize drawings.
Each year, residents of the village of Northport, near the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, decorate the Grand Traverse Lighthouse for Christmas as it was celebrated by the families who lived there in the early 20th century. The annual Christmas at the Lighthouse celebration is held this year on Dec. 2, and includes refreshments and entertainment by local musicians.
One of Traverse City’s most charming Yuletide events is the annual [Back to Press Releases Main]
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