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Santa’s Helpers, from the Amherst Fire
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The Amherst Tree Lighting Festival is always held on the second Sunday’s weekend in December. It falls on December 9-10-11th this year of 2011.
It is a weekend when our town organizations, churches and clubs work hard to enliven our beautiful village with concerts, breakfasts, hayrides, visits with Santa, children’s events, open houses and suppers.
The weekend begins with the Friday 6:30 p.m. Tree Lighting Ceremony during which all the winter holidays are acknowledged. Traditionally, at dusk, single, white candle lights appear in the windows of each village home. The crowd gathers and “oohs and ahhs” as the colorful village tree is lit by Santa Claus. The other tree, the Memory Tree is also lit; songs and readings about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, The Winter Solstice, and the First Snow are sung and read. Those in service to our country, who cannot be home for the holidays, have their names read aloud.
This Tree Lighting ceremony on the WWI Common across from Moulton’s, is followed by a Lions Club yummy spaghetti supper just down the street at the Congregational Church; walk on over! On the 2 weekend days after the Tree Lighting ceremony, many more activities take place in town. A full schedule will appear in the Amherst Citizen Newspaper. To help, or for more information, contact Ann Bergin ( ACBergin@aol.com ).
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