Lighting ceremony heralds Christmas

More than 160 people turned out Friday afternoon in Littleton for the town’s first Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.

Led by the jolly old elf himself, dozens of people gathered at Littleton United Methodist Church, and then made their way down a festively decorated Main Street toward the town square, where a giant 30-foot tall Christmas tree awaited.

The Yuletide spirit abounded for the event, with Santa, portrayed by Lake Gaston area resident Jack Underwood, sang Christmas carols as they walked. Many of the town merchants got in the act, decorating their stores for the holiday season, and the town’s Beautification Committee had put lights up along the road.

The tree’s lighting was part of an ongoing project by the committee to not only upgrade the look of Main Street all year long, but to give the town a festive look during the Christmas holidays.

Sally Hawfield, the committee chairman, started the work a couple of years back, and area residents and business pitched in by volunteering their time and money to have old trees cut back, and by donating the crepe myrtle trees that now line the town’s streets.

Next came part time lake resident George Mosca, who last year donated the large snowflakes that adorn Main Street, and he donated the time of one of his Raleigh-based work crews to install the lights, marking the first time in years Main Street had been decorated for Christmas.

Mosca, owner of Mosca Designs Inc., came across the large Christmas tree that was going to be thrown out by a shopping center in Chapel Hill. According to Sally Hawfield, Mosca donated the tree, and the work crew that erected it.

Along the way came some upgrades to electrical wires in town -– a cost split by the town council and the Lions Club.

All of the work and expense seemed to be worth it Friday, with smiles and songs and Christmas spirit abundant in the air.

The tree will be lit every evening between now and when it’s taken down after Christmas, and Sally said the caroling and tree lighting ceremony will now be an annual event.

She also is asking area residents to express their gratitude to Mosca for his donations to the town by writing him at George@moscadesign.com or George Mosca, Mosca Design, Inc.; 8450 Garvey Drive; Raleigh, N.C. 27616