{"id":42850,"date":"2023-11-26T13:46:59","date_gmt":"2023-11-26T17:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/?p=42850"},"modified":"2023-11-26T13:46:59","modified_gmt":"2023-11-26T17:46:59","slug":"the-michael-family-bringing-christmas-smiles-cheer-and-awareness-to-a-tv-screen-near-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/news\/2023\/11\/26\/the-michael-family-bringing-christmas-smiles-cheer-and-awareness-to-a-tv-screen-near-you\/","title":{"rendered":"The Michael Family: Bringing Christmas smiles, cheer, and awareness to a TV screen near you"},"content":{"rendered":"

TOWAMENCIN TWP – The Christmas season. A time of year when lights line the streets that exude happiness and spirit. For Brian Michael and his family (102 Kimberly Way, Hatfield, PA), the whole year leads up to this time, a time when his hobby turns into a magical display that brings smiles and cheer to all that are near.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From a young age, Brian Michael has always been fascinated by holiday light displays, but after buying his own house with his wife, he was able to bring his passion to another level.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI got into decorating when I was a kid,\u201d Michael said. \u201c[When] I was six years old the apartment complex [I lived in] was having a decorating contest. My mom said that I heard about it and I insisted that I wanted to do it. So she got me the decorations, I created my own nativity, and I hung lights outside. That\u2019s where it [all] started.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn 98\u2019 we got our first house in Lansdale borough,\u201d Michael continued. \u201cThat was when we started collecting decorations, and after 3-4 years, it got to be more than average\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Decorations ranging from blow molds to yard art can be seen outside of the Michael family\u2019s house. Although they are all an important part of Brian\u2019s collection, a couple of pieces in particular are extra special.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the decorations [outside] is a fireplace and there is a picture on top of the fireplace of my first Christmas display,\u201d Michael stated. \u201c[There is also] a piece from 1970 that I\u2019ve restored twice. [It is] two boxes with elves in them and in the middle, there is an arch with a Santa Claus holding a lantern. There are not many of them out there, and instead of just restoring it, and keeping it somewhere no one else can see it but me, our family likes to put it out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A large part of the attraction to Michael\u2019s house is the diversity of decorations and the radio station that the lights dance along to. This music was not always a part of his display however, it was an addition following a trend in the early 2000s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n