BY ANN CIPPERLY FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA —
For the 55th year, the Collinwood neighborhood continues its Christmas gift to the community with the annual Collinwood Luminaries Friday, Dec. 9 from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Admission is free.
Over 1,500 flickering candles in sand-filled bags line the winding, sloping streets in the neighborhood, symbolizing the guiding of the Holy Family on their journey to the manger where Christ was born.
Pastor Rick Lane, youth minister at First United Methodist Church, has provided live scenes along the pathway for 40 years.
The rain date is Dec. 10 from 5 to 9 p.m.
“The community is invited to drive through the luminaries as many times as they like to enjoy the scenes,” said Ruth Torbert, chair of the event.
Along the candlelit drive, homes are decorated for Christmas, signs display Bible verses and scenes throughout the neighborhood tell the Christmas story.
Living scenes feature shepherds, wise men and angels. At the end of the path, a live nativity scene shares the message of Christmas.
Those driving through the luminaries will receive a program at the entrance with a QR code to scan with their phone camera that allows them to listen to the recording of the Bible’s Christmas story from Luke 2:1-20.
“The neighborhood has always seen the luminaries as its gift to the community,” said Martha Hill, a Collinwood resident who has participated from the beginning, when the first candles were lit. “It makes Christmas special for children.”
Hill, who has served as the event chair several times over the years, said her children grew up looking forward to the annual family event. The event keeps the neighborhood close, she said.
The preparation for setting up the candles involves the entire family. Yards are raked and neatly groomed. Children in the neighborhood assist older residents.
A few days before the event, sand is delivered to several locations around the neighborhood. Three to four inches of sand is placed into a plastic bag, then into a paper bag, with the top folded down two inches to add rigidity. On the day of the luminaries, bags are placed 20 inches from the curb and spaced evenly for uniformity.
City sanitation and power employees assist in getting ready for the event by cleaning streets and turning streetlights off.
The Collinwood tour is also supported by the Opelika mayor and city council, Public Works Department of Opelika (ESG), Opelika Power Services, Opelika Police Department and Boy Scout Troop 858. The First United Methodist Church youth group provides the characters for the live scenes along the way.
At the first Collinwood Luminaries, there were only a few houses on East Collinwood. In 1966, Mrs. J.R. Fuller of the Twilight Garden Club suggested the idea to the club after seeing luminaries in Europe. The holiday tradition of luminaries originated over 400 years ago in Mexico.
The following year, with 15 families in the neighborhood at the time, the residents undertook the project. The late Aileen Samford and Lucy Salter were instrumental in organizing the event. Salter received information on the details of luminaries from friends in St. Simons Island, Georgia.
During the first few years, the residents of East Collinwood used an assortment of bags and candles. After West Collinwood Circle and Collinwood Street were added to the subdivision, the event became more organized. Paper bags and candles were ordered in order to be consistent throughout the pathway.
The luminaries will begin at 5 p.m. at the corner of 10th Street and Collinwood. Motorists turn off headlights as they slowly drive one way through the neighborhood and end at McLure.
Collinwood residents invite all Lee County residents to come and enjoy the luminaries as they “light the path” on the “journey to the manger.”