The aesthetic of Christmas is a big part of the holiday spirt for families and businesses. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW)

By Josh Ryan

Bright display

Spreading joy with Christmas decorations

Dec 26, 2021 | 8:00 AM

During the Christmas season, our team at Pattison Media is once again producing positive stories based around holiday traditions and accomplishments for the region.

Here’s one residence and one business that went above and beyond to light up the holidays.

Despite a stressful year plus of pandemic life, residents of the Battlefords community have participated enthusiastically with the Christmas tradition of decorating for the holidays.

2021 Twinkle Tour winner Hans Klassen became a lifelong fan of the holidays from his parents going above and beyond with decorations and attractions each December. For Klassen and his seven siblings, it was an annual highlight.

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“It was a big family and we liked to celebrate, so Christmas morning was always a big thing,” he said.

Given the decades of history behind everything in the house and yard, Klassen said it’s a priority to make sure things are up in time. It’s also a matter of organization, given the number of items.

“A lot of the stuff on the tree is 60-80 years old,” he said. “Plus, I keep adding things here and there. The Christmas Angel on the tree is key, we’ve had that since I was born.”

The Klassen home, along with other homes featured in the 2021 Twinkle Tour. (City of North Battleford)

The Klassen residence has run a bed and breakfast for nearly 30 years, so making the home inviting comes naturally. In addition to the business, Klassen said his mother is equally passionate about the holiday and really loves the lights.

“She just turned 90 this year and she loves Christmas and the decorations,” he said. “Big part of life for all of us.

This year’s addition was Christmas trees for the front lawn, adding to the archway and bridge set-up. Moving forward, Klassen said their family will continue to keep the tradition going, with some of his other siblings and their families participating in other festivities.

“One brother dresses up as Santa, another one has wrapping paper torn up in the hallways to pretend elves were in the house to decorate and fill the kids Christmas wishes,” he said.

And the Twinkle Tour winner hopes others in the community continue as well, citing the visual of the Water Tower as a highlight of entering the Battlefords.

It’s something you see from miles away and brings a warm feeling to you, knowing it’s Christmas time.”

Hans Klassen’s Christmas tree has as much detail as the home. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW)

One of the most noticeable business displays in North Battleford is off of 100th St.

Rayburn Dental not only has the exterior stacked with lights and decorations, but also has animated programming, set to music.

Dr. Sherry Rayburn told battlefordsNOW that it may differentiate them from other businesses, but it’s something she’s always insisted on since her children were small. On her street in Saskatoon, they’d decorate 14 houses and the dental office has always been lit up during the holidays, prompting interaction from both customers and the public.

“Even in off-season, people will come by and thank us,” Rayburn said. “As long as other people enjoy it, it’s important to do.”

Keeping the tradition is made easier by that kind of thanks. Rayburn said it’s not hard to spend energy on that this time of year, which is particularly fun for the children coming through.

“People always enjoy it and that feedback makes you want to do more,” she said. “You appreciate that others appreciate it.”

Some Christmas touch inside Rayburn Dental. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW)

This year was a significant evolution for their team, using the animated programming for the lights. Rayburn said she learned how to build a controller, purchased a software called xlights and ordered everything early on as to avoid shipping issues. While they had some issues initially, they worked through them and the result paid off.

“Next year we can add, now that I understand the software and the controller,” she said. “YouTube is great, anybody can learn anything on there.”

For others looking to add something similar to their business or home, Rayburn said there’s some security in knowing exactly where your money is going and how it can help people

“You can spend money or give it to organizations and ultimately never know where your money goes,” she said. “When you do the work yourself and figure out how everything works, you’re guaranteed to get what you wanted and usually you see other people enjoy it as well.”

(Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW)

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josh.ryan@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports