During every Christmas season, we see pictures of world-famous places in the Christmas spirit. New York City, Gatlinburg and many other places all do special things for Christmas. During this week, Union is celebrating Christmas with its own special week of Christmas. The Union Chamber of Commerce named this celebration “Merry and Bright Union in Lights,” and Union begins celebrating each night at 6 p.m. Hopefully, this will become a tradition that our community follows for many years to come.
by Matt Hennington
Although the six days of Christmas have already begun, the first day of the celebration kicked off the Christmas season. On Dec. 1, Union turned on the Christmas lights and showcased the Christmas decorations. For the past several weeks, Union has prepared for this night by putting up Christmas decorations downtown. A Christmas tree also sits in front of the flagpole. On Dec. 2, this celebration will feature a telling of the Christmas story and a concert in the mini-park. Dec. 3 will include “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” as an outdoor movie, and a Best Decorated Christmas Yard Competition will commence on Dec. 4. These weekly activities all serve as great fun in their own right. However, they merely lead up to the main events on the weekend.
After four days of celebrating, the week will culminate with the main events on the weekend. On Saturday, Dec. 5, the Christmas parade will take place just as if we were in the pre-COVID era. This night will also include pictures with Santa after the parade. Furthermore, on Sunday, First Baptist Church will feature a live Nativity scene for the community to see. Many people may not have seen a live nativity scene before, and this will prove a great experience for them to see something new. In fact, this entire week will provide Union with a different and enhanced Christmas experience than in previous years.
During these unprecedented times, Christmas still brings joy to everyone and lifts the spirits of all in Union. However, the pandemic still rages, and we must still use extreme caution when celebrating this week, which includes wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands. This week of celebration will bring a lot happiness in a time when it is desperately needed, but we must all still express vigilance. “Merry and Bright Union in Lights” will hopefully become a tradition of Union, and I hope we all can enjoy this for years to come.
