A Long Holiday Time Ago in a Middleridge Far Far Away

Catie Morales

Before there were cut up milk jugs … before there were decorated “flame-retardant” bags … before there were creative ways to decorate “canning” jars … hey, even before there were Fairfax Club Estates and Lindsay Park, there was the good ole’ paper lunch bag, sand and candles, Middleridge Luminary Display.

OK, I admit it, when it comes to fond memories of my childhood in Middleridge, I get a bit sentimental.  But isn’t that what memories are all about anyway?

I will never forget the very FIRST Middleridge Luminary Display.  It encompassed the entire neighborhood.  Yea, yea, Middleridge was quite a bit smaller back then, (just one entrance in and out of the neighborhood) but nonetheless it was impressive even to those drivers traveling down a one-lane route 123 looking into the neighborhood.  It was like, “Hey, look at Middleridge, we have the prettiest neighborhood in the county.  Don’t you just wish you lived here?”

Maybe it was the nostalgia of doing something new?  Maybe people just wanted to see how many neighbors would actually do it?  Maybe there were a lot more little kids (like me) who just begged their parents to let them help fill the bags?  Or, dare I even speculate, maybe we were a bit more “community-like” back then.  (No, no, I refuse to believe that!)  At any rate, the display reached all the way down Paynes Church Drive and up Broadwater and all the bisecting streets in between.  It was truly a sight to see.  And every year, even though I got older, I still looked forward to that one night where the neighborhood was all lit up.

Now that I’m the Mommy, I made sure I passed on the excitement of the Luminary Display to my children.  I always tell them how beautiful the neighborhood looked when I was a kid and how much fun it was to see all the candles.  Now, as soon as my two kids know the sand (free sand I might add) is ready to be picked up, they beg me or my husband to drive down and get it.  Every year I hear, “We have to get more sand this year Mommy, so we can fill our entire sidewalk!”  (Lucky for us we live on a corner, so it takes no less than 30-40 bags to fill the driveway and corner lot.)  After a couple of hits and misses, we have found that votive candles work best (thanks to my very smart neighbor, Laura) and can actually last the entire night and well into the morning. 

At any rate, through the years I have heard many neighbors put their own spin on the display.  Some say they like to think it helps Santa find our neighborhood and land safely on each house.  Some say it helps them signify the first Christmas, while still others use it as a way to announce their creativity and turn a regular lunch bag into something spectacular. 

But in all honesty, if my mind serves me well, the Middleridge Luminary Display was not really meant to signify any religious belief at all.  It was meant to show how connected we are as a community.  As one neighbors candle display melded into the next, we signified that we as a community could only exist if we connected to our neighbors.  We were a community … not just a sub-division.  We cared about our neighbors … we watched out for each other … we were there for each other.  That was the meaning of the display.  That’s the reason I have always loved this neighborhood.  And, that’s the reason why so many young kids who, like me, grew up in this neighborhood … moved away … only to return.  Who says you can’t go home again.  I did!

So, as in years passed, I hope we all can put aside our differences whether they are religious, political or ethnic background and join together and all participate in the Middleridge Luminary Display this December 24^th.  Make it a family project.  If you do not celebrate Christmas, decorate the lunch bags in another theme.  Use a theme which is important to your family.  Hey, decorate them with your favorite sports team if you want to.  Just participate.

Then……………..

Gather the kids or wife or grand-parents, aunts, uncles and cousins and take a walk or drive around the neighborhood.  Look at the flickering lights.  Imagine how each flicker is the symbol of just one person who lives here (or someone who has passed on but was your neighbor.)  I’m sure you will feel as I do … a sense of belonging … a sense of pride … the belief that there is no better place to live in the entire country then Middleridge!!

You’ll see my family cruising the neighborhood on December 24^th I hope we get a chance to see your family too.  Best wishes to all of you this Holiday Season!

The Most Simple & Basic Luminary Display Recipe

1. Plan how many luminaries you will need in advance.  Usually about 1 bag for every 5 or 6 feet of space.  (Don’t forget your driveway if you are going to include that as well.)

2. Purchase a pack of brown paper lunch bags from the grocery store or dollar store.

3. Purchase 1 candle for each luminary you wish to make.  Votives and Tealights are best since they contain their flames well and usually won’t end up burning up the entire bag.  (Tealights last about 3 to 4 hours … Votives last about 6 to 8.)

4. Take a trip to Joshua Davis Court and pick up enough sand to fill each bag 1/3 way full.  (The sand is free so take as much as you need.  Trust me, there is PLENTY for the ENTIRE neighborhood.)

5. When you’re ready, fill each bag 1/3 full of sand and place the votive or tealight in the middle.  Carefully light the candle and “Voila” you have your basic luminary.

Be as creative or simple as you want.  You also can purchase Luminary “flame-retardant” bags at any craft store.  They come already decorated.  You may also check out the Internet for several “non-candle” Luminary kits if you do not want to worry about burning anything.  Have fun with it!!!

Catie Morales