Sunday, November 25, 2007

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like ...



Christmas. Welcome to Fireday-Sunday. Yeah, I know I missed it Friday but I was waiting for this picture. Yesterday was Decoration Day at the firehouse. This is my firehouse, the Vigilant Hose Company #1 in Shippensburg, PA. Since, seemingly, the beginning of time the Vigilants have been big on Christmas. The town tree was planted in front of the Municipal building in the early thirties. That tree stood until 2001 when the tree's health was in a quick decline and had to be removed, but by Thanksgiving a new tree had been planted and it continues to be lit up for the town. Shippensburg has for the past ten or more years held Dicken's Days, a holiday celebration, kicked off by a parade which ends at the firehouse. The Mayor will say some words, Scrooge gives a "Bah-Humbug", Tiny Tim wishes "God bless us, everyone" and then Santa Claus will order the tree lights be lit for everyone. The VHC, in lights, has been around since at least 1940, but had been missing since the seventies, until it returned in 2005. Now if we can just keep them all lit for five weeks.

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