Christmas bells are gently ringing, and there is a mass of colourful twinkling lights, effigies and other attractive ornaments, heralding the Yuletide Season, in some concentrated areas of South Hill, Anguilla. It is all a festive competition on which that community has embarked to determine the best-decorated household and surroundings.
Among the families involved in the competition, are Mr Godfrey Carty and his wife, Mrs Karimah Carty, known over the years for their elaborate Christmas decorations. “Well, this is something that we look forward to every year,” Karimah told The Anguillian on Tuesday evening, after the competition, to coincide with Friday’s South Hill Community Christmas celebration, was judged. “My husband is very passionate about Christmastime, and it is a joy to see people come out to enjoy the lights. They are totally amazed. When they come, they feel that they are not in Anguilla, and there are all sorts of comments like it is a wonderland. Everybody is really enjoying it and we have no problem with people coming by and enjoying it; so everybody is welcome to come and see our lights.”
Asked whether the tremendous amount of lighting and decorations were an expensive undertaking, Karimah replied: “Actually it is not,” she replied. “We do a lot of planning prior to Christmas, and we buy a lot of our stuff after Christmas in planning for the next year. So at the end of the season, this year, we will go and source our stuff and prepare for the coming year.”
She described the exquisite scenes engulfing the family’s entire property: “It is basically like a Christmas Wonderland. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ so we have here a display of Mary, Joseph and the Baby and the Three Wise Men – and we also have the stars in the sky. It is a just magical place and that’s how I think of it.”
What does this consumption of electricity do to the family’s ANGLEC bill? Karimah was asked.
“It actually does increase our current bill quite a bit, but my kids love it, the community loves it, so what about paying one high current bill for one month to give people pleasure?” she chuckled.
Higher up the road, some of Karimah’s extended families are also involved in the competition. The next stop by the roadside residence of Mr Rickford Hughes, and Mrs Peggy Hughes, was also a delight. “It is something that I grew up with,” said Peggy, taking the lead to speak about the family’s Christmas decorations, as Karimah did, with their husbands nodding their approval. “After I got married and came to the yard, I met my husband and he also likes Christmas. As our children grew, this is what we transformed our home to. My eldest son is who creates the designs along with my daughter.”
How would you describe your Christmas decorations? Peggy was asked.
“The theme is ‘Stars of Bethlehem’”, she answered. “So we built stars, did the snowman, the Christmas Tree, the chimney, the monster, and we have a whole collection of other decorations – and the children also made a tunnel. For the past twenty-five years, I have been doing it. Every year it gets better and better, and everybody looks forward every year for me to do it, so it is like a passion.”
