Lighted trees bring joy

Many find comfort in holiday traditions

Literature tells us light is a beacon of hope, whether it is the light of a new dawn, the light of a candle in the darkness, or the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. No one escaped the hardships this year meted out. Even if you and yours avoided getting sick or losing a job, the fear that is at the center of a pandemic touched us all. We coped in hundreds of big and small ways. Many of us put up Christmas trees early as we looked for something to make us feel better.

The holidays aren't wonderful for everyone, but there's something about Christmas lights. A twinkle in the cold night and the

A reader-submitted photo of a tree all in lights.

Left: Tori Russo's family in Delmar goes to Mcdonough’s in East Greenbush every year to cut their own tree, at left. It is decked out with many years’ worth of sentimental ornaments - vacation finds, childhood ornaments and the ones their daughter adds every year. Center: Carlo and Donna de Oliveira hang a variety of old and new ornaments from their tree in Ravena, at center, but the most special are the ones made by their children, Chloe, 11; and Cameron, 6. Donna writes: "We treasure the memories that flood back each time we put up these humble, but most meaningful decorations." Right: Megan and Ben Mastrianni's tree in Colonie, right, is a gathering of ornaments the couple have made, collected and been gifted over their 30-plus years together.

shine coming from a lighted tree in a neighbor's window send a message: this is our tradition. We put these lights up every year in celebration of the season. Let there be light, and hope that our season of fear will pass. Check out the photos with this story to see what Capital Region residents have done to deck the halls.

Meet Baxter of West Sand Lake. Baxter is a living Norfolk pine Donna Denley and her husband bought for their first Christmas together in 1999. She writes: "Baxter spends the summer outside soaking up a few rays of sunshine and comes in for the winter, bringing the occasional unwanted guest. Baxter easily reaches the ceiling while hanging out with the house plants waiting for the decorations. My 15 year old daughter and her friend decorated Baxter on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.”

Lighting up

Chesterfield Drive is a community effort. Resident Diane Reilly writes: Our neighborhood started in October pulling together to do something special out here in Weatherfield (Voorheesville). Ed and Kate Mccormick led an effort to decorate older folks' trees. "It has been a beautiful experience to turn on trees every night,"

Reilly said. Shown here: Ed Mccormick on the ladder with Patrick Schraa, Bill Young and Jim Reilly.

The Gagons of Rensselaer made a natural tree their main tree this year, decorated it with fresh citrus slices and cranberry garland and made a star out of cardboard, glue, silver sparkles and an empty toilet paper roll. Their theme this year was keeping it simple. Some of the citrus decorations below.

Nicole Weinstein and her daughter, Delia, bought an artificial tree and gave it a top hat tree topper to spice up tradition in their Albany home. It is decorated with ornaments given to them by Nicole's parents. She has 21; Delia has 17.

Kim and Ed Marks of Albany shopped dollar stores for white ornaments and pulled from their own archive with old black and white family photos.

Tree decorating isn't just for Christmastime at Robert and Peggy Chase's home in Westmere. It's also been decked for Valentine's Day and Easter.