A home for the holidays!
It only seems like Clark Griswold lives on Daniel Island.
Drive past the intersection of Village Crossing Drive and Pierce Street and you will see Christmas pomp and circumstance in the form of elaborate decorations that increase the electric bill, attract neighbors and passersby, and bring a spirit of goodwill to all who visit.
Is this a scene out of the movie “Christmas Vacation?” No this is real life and the house with the incredible Christmas decorations belong to Karen and Ralph Thomas, who have provided quite a jolly display on Daniel Island.
The couple moved to the Lowcountry approximately 2 ½ years ago from the Phoenix-Scottsdale area and brought their Christmas decorations with them.
They’ve expanded their collection to include more than 40 inflatable Christmas figurines that include a military Santa, all the reindeer Santa calls on on Christmas Eve, Mickey Mouse as Santa, Frosty the Snowman, American flags, Uncle Sam and much, much more. The display also features flags, wreaths and the traditional house lights, although Thomas doesn’t have 25,000 twinkle lights attached to his roof like Griswold did in the movie.
There’s even an inflated Dori and Nemo to stimulate the youngsters and toddlers who come to view the extravaganza with their parents, traveling in strollers or in cars.
“We’ve done it for years,” Thomas said. “We started doing it in Phoenix as part of an outreach to help others. There was a military base in the Phoenix area and that’s why we have the military characters.”
Arranging all the decorations so they look just right is a project in itself. Karen is part of the design team, deciding which decoration goes where and to make sure there is an order to prevent chaos.
The Thomas’ daughter Marianne lives across the street on Daniel Island and provides advice. She also offers quite a Christmas display herself, although it is more religious-oriented.
But across the street, Ralph is in charge of installing the decorations - which are kept in place with anchors and 85-pound heavy-duty fishing line. Unlike the desert area of Arizona, keeping the holiday adornments in place can be a chore. If it’s rainy or windy, it’s not unusual to see Thomas outside repositioning the decorations.
“It’s more of a challenge here,” Thomas said. “It’s work. But it’s a labor of love.”
That was the situation on Sunday, December 4, when Daniel Islanders came together to celebrate community. Residents throughout town lit luminaries and placed them along their sidewalks and walkways to connect neighbor-to-neighbor and street-to-street.
Thomas had his part in the “Island of Lights” event. He dressed up as Santa and handed out more than 700 candy canes to children of all ages.
“People were backed up waiting to see and take part,” Thomas said. “It was something else. We enjoyed it.”