We all know Christmas will be different this year.
Not only has the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to rethink how they act day to day but also how they celebrate holidays.
One thing the pandemic hasn’t changed for many, though, is the desire to get into the Christmas spirit by lighting up their homes.
As a result, you can drive around Jefferson County following the lights, like your own version of the three wise men. To help you on your journey, you can check out websites that list homes with impressive holiday decorations and light displays.
St. Louis Holiday Light Hopping (holidaylighthopping.com) lists displays in the greater St. Louis area, providing 15 different routes, including a 28-mile Jefferson County trip that takes about an hour to drive.
“I used to take my nephew (Mitch Miller) around to see lights,” said Laura Thake of Affton, who created Holiday Light Hopping five years ago. “We had a short list, and we would get to the end of the night and be like, ‘We see these every year. There has to be more than just this one list. How do you find the cool houses?’
“We decided we should make the website. That is how it got started.”
Numerous Jefferson County homes are listed on Thake’s site.
Arnold
One of those is Jenn Delf’s house at 1745 Apple Hill Drive in Arnold.
Along with outlining her home’s frame, roof, windows and garage door in lights, Delf, 36, has the word “Noel” lit up on the roof. Lights also outline the front lawn, which is covered with numerous inflatables and other decorations.
One of the features is a mailbox for children to leave letters to Santa, and “Santa responds” to the letters, Delf said.
“I always add a little bit each year,” she said. “I never pay full price for anything. I wait until after Christmas and get new stuff 50 percent off or find stuff at thrift stores.”
Delf said her lights turn on at about 5 p.m. and turn off at about 11:30 p.m. each day. She said the lights are turned off for the season after Dec. 31.
Her house has been listed on Holiday Light Hopping for the last three years, and she has seen an increase in people coming by to see her display. “I continue to decorate my house each year because I love seeing the smiles it puts on everyone’s face, especially the kiddos,” Delf said.
High Ridge
Tammy Chesonis, 61, and Roger Stadler, 57, have been decorating their home at 2565 Wellesley Drive in High Ridge since 2012.
The couple use more than 35,000 lights on their home and in their yard. A manger scene and numerous inflatables are also featured in the display.
“We expanded after getting good deals on lights,” Chesonis said. “We look for things at the end of the year, when you can get a very good price.”
Chesonis said she normally starts turning on her lights on Thanksgiving, but this year, she turned them on Nov. 23. She said the lights will be on from about 4:30-10:30 p.m. each day through Jan. 3.
She said this is the fourth year her house has been listed on the Holiday Light Hopping website, and she has seen an increase in traffic in front of her house since then.
“It puts a smile on our face,” Chesonis said. “We look out the window and say, ‘There is a slow one.’”
Ron Lawson, 49, started creating a large display at his home at 2505 Braintree Drive in High Ridge to get in the holiday spirit, his wife, Denise Lawson, 48, said.
“It started because he works in retail, and it makes him grinchy,” Denise said. “But when he comes home and sees it, it makes him happy. He gets really excited when the kids get excited.”
The Lawsons’ yard is filled with 78 inflatables, including a nativity scene, snowmen and, of course, Santa Claus. There are so many inflatable’s it can be hard to see the home’s light display, and Denise said some inflatables have spilled into a neighbor’s lawn.
Denise said the display typically is up the weekend after Thanksgiving, and lights are turned on from about 5-10 p.m. every night through New Year’s Eve.
“We have been doing it for 15 years,” Denise said. “We want to do it because people are happy to see them.”
Denise said she has contacted Thake about having their home listed on Holiday Light Hopping.
House Springs
For the past 10 years, Angela Hileman, 46, and her husband, Darryll Hileman, 52, have created a large display at their home, 3927 Kingsgate Parkway, in House Springs.
“The first year we moved in and just had the lights on the house, and everyone said, ‘Your house looks like a gingerbread house,’” Angela said. “I started thinking about the gingerbread villages that you put together, and I said, ‘OK, let’s do more.’”
More turned into an 18-foot “tree” created by hanging lights off a flagpole and putting a 3-foot star on top of the pole. The home is outlined in lights, 5-foot-tall candy canes line the driveway and a train sits near the curb.
Angela said the display was ready Nov. 29, and it is lit up every night from 5 p.m. through sunrise until two days after Christmas.
The Hilemans’ home is listed on Holiday Light Hopping for the second straight year this year, and Angela said there has been an increase in traffic since being part of the website.
“We will see about 15 cars a night at first, but it increases a lot as Christmas approaches,” she said.
De Soto
Dorothy Tessmer, 67, and her husband, John Tessmer, 62, have been putting up elaborate decorations at their home at 114 S. Second St. in De Soto since 1993.
While the task is not easy, the couple has no plans to stop wrapping all four sides of their home in lights and setting out numerous displays in the yard.
Dorothy said the display, which can be seen from nearby De Soto City Hall, 17 Boyd St., typically is first lit up on Thanksgiving, and the lights continue to be turned on from about 5-11 p.m. every day until about a week after New Year’s Day.
“We do it for the people in De Soto,” said Dorothy, whose home is not listed on any holiday light websites. “They appreciate it year after year because they keep coming to our house to see it.”
Festus
Ruby Patton, who is recovering from a 10-day hospital stay due to the COVID-19 virus, was feeling a little “blue” this holiday season. To cheer herself up, Patton created an Elvis-based holiday display outside her home at 1604 St. Mary’s Lane in Festus.
Patton put out all blue holiday lights on her U-shaped driveway and a life-sized Elvis with a blue guitar on the porch. Her custom-wrapped “Elvis car” is on display in the driveway.
“I have some 3,000 personal pictures (of Elvis), and some of those were used for the wrap,” she said.
Patton also plays Elvis music for an hour and a half every night.
“People love it, especially Elvis fans,” she said. “People are stopping and taking pictures. It gets everyone in the Christmas mood.”
Herculaneum
Mike Brown, 30, grew up helping his father decorate their Crystal City home with about 100,000 lights. He continues to create a big display at his home, 315 Freidberg Court, in Herculaneum.
“We are keeping the tradition alive,” said Brown, whose father died five years ago. “We use 30,000 lights.”
The home’s windows, front door and garage door are outlined in lights. Lights also line the front walkway, and a light archway goes across the driveway. One of the highlights is a lighting effect that looks like reindeers are drinking from a stream in the yard.
Brown said he began creating the display three years ago, and his home has been listed on Holiday Light Hopping every year.
His display first lit up this year on Thanksgiving, and the lights are on each day from about 5-10 p.m. through Jan. 3.
“I think everybody will not be able to do what they normally like to do, so they may hop in the car to do some holiday light hopping,” Brown said.
Imperial
Mike and Lindsay Christman, both 37, have added more decorations to their home at 217 Dover Castle Court in Imperial every year for the past five years.
The Christmans’ home is covered in lights, and the display has spilled into the yard that has a large lit-up sign that says “Joy,” and an archway over the driveway.
Mike said there are about 15,000 lights in his display, and they are on from dusk until about midnight every day until after New Year’s Day.
The Christmans’ home has been listed on Holiday Light Hopping for three years.
He said the display is getting a lot of attention this year, with about 20 cars driving by a night.
“I think people may drive around and check out lights more this year.”
Pevely
Justin Lenhard, 40, and his wife, Princess Lenhard, 37, decked out their home at 650 Alsace Drive in Pevely for the first time this year, and they didn’t hold back.
Justin said he ordered the lights and computer modules to create the display from the same company that supplies equipment to Disney for its theme parks.
He programmed and set up thousands of lights that put on a 45-minute show set to music. The music can be heard by tuning into 99.7 FM, and the home is listed on Holiday Light Hopping and Christmas Light Guide.
The Lenhards’ display is turned on from 6-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 6-9 p.m. on Sundays through Dec. 27. In addition, the display will be on from 6-9 p.m. every night during the week of Dec. 20, with the Friday and Saturday hours the same.
The display, which went live Nov. 20, features eight Christmas trees lining the driveway, and his home’s roof and garage doors are outlined in lights.
There’s also a lighted sign with instructions to tune into the radio station and two faces that mouth the words of the song that plays. A collection box is included, and all donations will go to the Jefferson County Rescue Mission in Pevely, Justin said.
“This was a new adventure, and it turned out great,” he said. “We did it because it gives me something to do. I like challenges. It gives something for people to watch for free, and with COVID and everything else going on, we thought, ‘Why not?’”