Every town has its traditions or landmarks that everyone who lives there has probably seen a thousand times but still goes because its just what you do. Fort Wayne is no different, but these traditions are repeated year after year because people genuinely enjoy them. The traditions consist of lightings, light shows, admiring beautifully decorated trees, hot cocoa, hearing the reason for the season, and cutting down your very own tree.
The very first must see for the Christmas season is the downtown lighting. It’s the day before Thanksgiving and consists of herds of people all gathering together, several streets being closed down right at the time of rush hour and Santa. The people that gather gets to hear the beautiful voices of the carolers and see Santa and his elves while they wait for the various lights to light up like magic ignited it. The two biggest lightings that are always the busiest, this year included, is the lighting of Santa and his reindeer and lighting of this massive wreath in the heart of downtown. Shouts of the countdown until it is all lit up can be heard all across downtown, but it seems as soon as they are lit the crowd dispersing and moves to the next grand attraction. The only people left to see these light displays are the people that couldn’t make it on time and the families that drive around downtown admiring the lights instead of bracing the cold and walking everywhere.
There are two places that the people in the lighting crowds normally disperse to, the local Coney Island Weiner Stand or the Embassy Theatre to view the festival of trees. The brave souls that go to Coney Island must endure the cold weather as they stand in tumultuous lines in waiting for the famous coney dogs. The people who don’t share the same loyalty to Coney Island can be found making their way to the Embassy to enjoy the warm inside festival of trees. These trees are insanely beautiful and people have taken hours decorating them and companies have spent hundreds sponsoring them. Also, if they dare, people can spend time staring at the infamous Wells Fargo tree counting the money placed all around it and if they get the closest to the actual amount they win all of it. This event isn’t free, but it’s worth the eight dollars to be warm and spend a half hour looking at breath-taking Christmas trees.
There are several personal Christmas traditions that my family and I either have done in the past and/or still do today. These traditions are very similar or exactly alike to the traditions that so many other people in Fort Wayne do as well. One of them is making a stop at DeBrands Chocolate shop and getting their oh-so-rich hot chocolate and possibly also indulging in one of their truffles as well. Another is taking time out of the chaos that is black Friday shopping and going as a family to go cut down a real Christmas tree. Now we don’t go to a random patch of forest, no, we go to St. Joe Tree Farm and spend time finding the greenest and fullest tree we can before chopping it down and taking it home. The final and as the years have gone on, the most crowded, tradition is piling into a car with my parents and brothers and going to our local Zoo to drive through and see all the lights. It’s a cozy tradition that also brings a lot of familiarity as some light attractions have remained the same, but regardless it is an amazing and awe-filled to see.
The most important and my most cherished tradition is remembering the reason we all have this season. It is not to buy and receive wants and material things, it's not to grumble about the weather or sing along to Christmas music 24/7; it is to celebrate that God our Savior was born unto a virgin and the beginning of the life and events that have given us all grace and have saved every single one of us from ourselves. This isn’t just a tradition for Fort Wayne Christmases, but I hope this is a tradition for everyone to come as you are regardless of where you came from and where you are going and celebrate the Reason for the Season.
