Each holiday season, a quiet neighborhood in Brooklyn turns into a must-see attraction in New York City.
Houses and yards are wrapped in threads of light, armies of toy soldiers, angels and reindeer are placed on the front lawns. In the nearly three decades since the neighborhood began putting its elaborate decor, people from all over the world had traveled miles away from Central Park and Rockefeller Center in Manhattan just to see the Christmas lights in Dyker Heights.
The crowds were as much a spectacle as the Christmas lights themselves, but the Covid-19 pandemic put an end to it this year. Some neighborhood families decided not to decorate this year.
“You have people who are not turning on the lights that are some of the heavyweights because they are looking after their elderly mother and are concerned about people in the neighborhood,” said Tony Muia, owner and operator of A Slice of Brooklyn, a local tour company. Muia canceled all bus trips from Dyker Heights for the holiday season, for the first time in 14 years, because of concerns about spreading the virus to the neighborhood.
“The last thing I wanted was for our bus to be a super mobile spreader that would not only infect people on the buses, but maybe infect people in the neighborhood,” said Muia.
Rumors spread in the neighborhood that authorities would tell people not to decorate their homes this year for fear of attracting crowds, but local leaders have focused mainly on defending more discreet Christmas lights this year.
“Obviously, because of the pandemic, something that is fun, an internationally known phenomenon becomes a real concern because of the crowds it can attract,” Justin Brannan, a Dyker Heights councilor, told a local television station, saying he and local community councils asked the New York police department to help ensure that all visitors were following Covid-19 guidelines.
The fact that some houses have chosen to skip their exhibitions this year has not prevented others from going as far as possible with their exhibitions.
Lucy Spata, who is known for being the person who started the Christmas lights tradition in 1986, said she put on her decorations earlier this year because she was looking to bring some joy to the community, as well as honoring her late husband. , who passed away last year.
“This was our thing to decorate. We like it, we love it. He always said to me, ‘Never stop,’ ”she said. “It makes you feel like you’re doing something to make everyone happy.”
Although tourism in New York City fell dramatically during the pandemic, Dyker Heights is still attracting local visitors looking to find comfort in annual traditions.
Those who visited the Christmas lights this year said that crowding was not an issue and that most people wore masks. Many people chose to drive around the neighborhood in their cars, jumping in to take occasional pictures.
Megan Kerrigan, who lives in Marine Park, Brooklyn, goes to see Christmas lights with her family every year. “Our daughter is five years old, so we have been going with her religiously every year,” said Kerrigan. “She loves the lights.”
Kerrigan said he started the tradition with his family, as it is the only constant in an ever-changing Brooklyn, where his family has lived for more than three generations.
“It’s a part of Brooklyn that hasn’t changed. At the very least, it has improved, ”she said. “It is something that has remained constant and it is still a beautiful thing that families can do together.”
Zak Turner of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, goes to see the Christmas lights every year with his wife, who grew up watching the lights with her own family. This year, the couple brought their 10-month-old puppy, Theo, for a walk in the neighborhood.
“It’s really cool to see how the tradition continues and the community has come together for a while, especially around Christmas time,” said Turner. “The lights don’t change, but we’re still looking forward to it.”