Turning off highway 183, and taking an unlit country road near Reading, a city in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, visitors are suddenly dazzled by the spectacle of a Christmas fairyland. Trees, houses and a variety of Christmas displays are set aglow by over half a million colorful lights.

 

This is Koziar's Christmas Village, which has been rated by Pennsylvania's tourism authorities as one of the top 10 travel attractions in the state. Each year, the village attracts thousands of visitors not only from nearby counties and states, but those who fly in to witness the spectacle.

 

Few people, however, could imagine that the whole operation was virtually initiated from a family hobby. Despite its reputation far and near, the village remains a family business until this day.

 

William M. Koziar began decorating his property in 1948 with unusual Christmas display for the pleasure of his own family. His creation was so highly appreciated by local residents that they called his decorated home "The Christmas House" and would come to enjoy the wonderful displays during Christmas time.

 

Greatly encouraged, Koziar added new lighted displays each year to the original layout. Over the years, his "Christmas House" continue to grow and gradually became known as "Christmas Village. "

This year, the Koziars celebrated the 58th birthday of their Christmas Village. The past five decades and more have witnessed many renovations in the displays, but their emphasis on family tradition and holiday celebration remains unchanged.

 

"We use simple themes and heart-warming Christmas displays for families to enjoy together," said Beverly Koziar, the youngest of the three daughters. "The displays, many of them homemade, evoke a sense of peace and family tradition," she added.

 

The 10-acre premises offers an ideal venue for an outdoor and country tour for families. Here visitors may find virtually everything related to Christmas: Christmas in the Jungle, Christmas Beneath the Sea, Christmas In Other Lands, Christmas in the Forest to name only a few. Visitors may take photos with colorful Christmas trees or next to a giant statue of Santa Claus with his reindeers in the background, or wander along the walkways in the miniature legendary Christmas world, complete with shops, school, fire house, and train stations. Children may say their wishes to a human Santa and buy toys and food in the shops.

 

The village opens to the public at night on the weekends from early November, then every night from Thanksgiving until New Year's night. Several people work on the premises all the year round adding new displays and updating the others.

 

"It takes a lot of work to continue to maintain and add to the beauty of Christmas Village," said Beverly. Her brother, Bill, works full time at the Village and her two sisters, Sonia and June, are also involved.

 

During the busy months of November and December, they hire college and high school students to work part-time to help cope with the big influx of visitors, directing traffic in the parking lot, and selling food, hot chocolate, and Christmas souvenirs.

 

Many visitors make visiting Christmas Village a family tradition and visit every year, generation after generation. One elderly man said he first came to the village as an unborn baby inside his mother's womb, then as a little boy year after year. Now he still makes these annual visits but with his children and grandchildren, Beverly said.

 

The village has visitors from all cultural and religious backgrounds, not only Christians, but Jewish, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists as well. The essence of Christmas, said Beverly, is the joy it brings to people.

 

"It is a joyous season, an optimistic season. If people are religious, they will see the religious part of it. If they are not, they see others with their happy, smiling faces, people being kinder and friendlier to others, taking time to appreciate each other. That's the magic part of Christmas," she said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2006)