Brightly-lit Christmas trees are popping up all over, as usual. Wilkes-Barre had the official lighting of the Public Square Tree at the end of the Santa Parade on Nov. 23, and the colorful fir — along with other ornaments — remains lit nightly for all to see at their leisure.
Other municipalities have held similar events, as have businesses and organizations. Grotto Pizza in Back Mountain held its 29th annual Parade of Trees decorating contest Nov. 26 — an event that gives visitors an eyeful while raising money for 28 different charities.
You can find similar displays — of individual trees in prominent places or a group of trees lit up for the season — throughout the region all this month. You may actually be hard-pressed to drive anywhere at night and not spot some colorful lights on a stately evergreen.
Aside from providing splashes of color during an increasingly grey time of year, many of these trees, like those at Grotto Pizza, also serve as a reminder of some important cause, a celebration of a service-oriented community organization, or a fundraiser.
But one of the finest Christmas tree scenes each year is set up in a place most people never see: The Luzerne County Courthouse. While it’s a public space, it’s no longer easily accessible thanks to tight security implemented over the years. But if you happen to be in the area and have a few extra minutes, consider stopping by just for a view.
It’s partly the sheer size of the tree, of course: it’s about 25 feet tall and aglitter with plenty of red, white and blue glow. But we think what really makes this particular tree stand out is the setting: The Courthouse Rotunda remains one of the most compelling locations in the county.
Marble, brass, stained-glass windows and globes of alabaster lighting combine under the beautiful dome, which itself can take many minutes to absorb thanks to all the paintings, writing and that stained-glass window at the pinnacle. The addition of tasteful decorations and the impressive tree turn it almost into a holiday wonderland.
The tree-lighting ceremony Monday drew about 100 people — roughly four for every one foot the concolor climbs upward. Santa Claus also made an appearance, to the delight of some youngsters. Luzerne County Controller Walter Griffith teamed with several singers from the Wyoming Valley Barbershop Harmony Chorus to run through some holiday classics, with lead singer Joe Husty donning a blinking and bulbous red nose for “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
Bret Alexander of the Badlees added more music.
The Courthouse often becomes a symbol corruption, government incompetence or wasted tax dollars. Residents more often visit with a sense of dread than awe. The tree lighting — and the tree itself — are reminders of just how beautiful the building is, and how it also serves as a place of community and hope.
County Manager Romilda Crocamo put it well when she talked of love, compassion, generosity and happiness as “the true meaning of the festivities of this time.”
Enjoy the trees — and the light they bring to our lives.
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