The Light Before Christmas

From a single window candle to computer-driven displays, lights are a central element of the holiday season.

Ordinary neighborhoods are transformed with illuminated Nativity scenes, flying reindeer, toy soldiers, snowmen and evergreens.

Some homeowners reveal their spirit by parting their living room curtains so passersby can catch a glimpse of a Christmas tree. Others indulge in outrageous displays featuring Disney characters, motorcycle-riding Santas and dolls dressed like children frolicking in fake snow.

A sense of wonderment crossed 4-year-old Michael Kutylo’s face as he gazed through a car window at an elaborate display on Landon Place in Santa Clarita. A team of reindeer pulled a sleigh. A donkey bowed its head before a creche. Colored bulbs turned tree branches into an enchanted forest.

Similarly, nearly a half-century ago, neighbors on Lubao Avenue in Woodland Hills decided to buy stovepipes, paint them white, wrap them in red ribbon and put them on their front lawns as a community celebration of Christmas.

The street, dubbed “Candy Cane Lane,” is one of the city’s most popular holiday displays, drawing tens of thousands of visitors annually. Over the years, a blue-robed Hanukkah Claus, toy-building elves and light shows all have been showcased.