It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

 The following article appeared in The Raymond News on 1/30/75:

Volunteer Fireman putting up the town Christmas lights in the 90's.

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I'm not sure if this is still the case or not, but when I was a kid, the firemen put up the town's Christmas lights on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and they were turned on for the first time on Thanksgiving night. I couldn't wait to go uptown that night to see the lights that were strung across Main Street and the Santa and reindeer display that was set-up near the old water tower along Rt. 48. 

And that was just the beginning of the excitement. Seeing the Christmas lights on Main Street was a reminder that mom and dad would soon be decorating the store and  it was almost time to make our annual trip to Earl and Doris Sorrells' farm to find the perfect tree. The Sears Christmas Wish Book would be arriving in the mail and Santa's annual Saturday afternoon visit to Raymond was right around the corner. The upcoming weeks would be busy with practices for school and church Christmas programs, and with shopping that included picking out the perfect Secret Santa gift for a classmate (with a $2.50 spending limit!). 

Even after all these years, when I'm in Raymond for the holidays I still love turning down Main Street and seeing the Christmas lights.