Lighting Up the Greenwich Holiday Season

Photos: the 2015 Greenwich Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Town Hall on Dec. 4, 2015. Credit: Barbara Heins.

Hundreds of children and their parents, grandparents and nannies delighted in the official arrival of the holiday season at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Greenwich Town Hall Friday evening.

Among them was a quartet of newly-minted Greenwich residents. With three-year-old Amelie bundled on her hip, Maretha Womarans said it was the first tree-lighting for she and her three daughters.

“We just moved to Greenwich and are trying to do everything for the first time,” said Womarans. She and her family hail from South Africa and have settled in Greenwich after living in Ohio for two-and-a-half years.

“I really like that it’s cool with people giving out candy, toys and there’s rides,” said 10-year-old Danita.

There was Santa and Mrs. Claus giving out candy canes and holiday spinning tops while Rudolf and Frosty the Snowman distributed other treats including cookies to the scores of children whose holiday energy couldn’t be corralled as mothers snapped cell phone photos. The lines were long for rides and photo ops on a mechanical reindeer and a tiger.

While the crowds waited for the countdown to light the 40-foot Norway spruce in front of Town Hall, the Greenwich High School Chamber Singers performed a medley of holiday carols under the direction of Patrick Taylor. Greenwich Parks and Recreation staff served up hundreds of cups of cider and hot chocolate.

Parks officials joked who wouldn’t be returning to work on Monday if the tree lighting hit a glitch similar to last year when the tree failed to light.

After youngsters screamed the countdown, they cheered and waited … but only the bottom quarter of the tree lit up. After a couple moments, the children roared when all of the 3,800 lights were finally illuminated.