National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is one of my favorite movies. The quotable scenes are too numerous to mention them all. Suffice to say, I blame this movie – along with my fellow movie-obsessed friends – for growing in me a serious and possibly unhealthy fascination with Christmas lights.
A few years ago, while attending the annual Christmas Vacation party, I constructed my own homage to the movie using an old pair of jeans and and six strands of 100 white bulbs. Poking 600 holes in my jeans was the easy part. Individually taping each bulb on the inside so that the light would poke through the jeans at a perfect 90-degree angle – this is rule, each light must be taped or stapled at a 90-degree angle and equidistant apart – was more difficult.
The result was a “25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights” pair of jeans. I did have to stand close to the wall socket all night to keep them lit up. So, while bouncing around from link to link, from Web site to Web site, I was ecstatic to find the Holdman Christmas video page.
From what I can tell, the Holdmans are a very artistic group in Utah. On their Web site (here) there are sections for Holdman Studios, Makers of Stained Glass and Blown Hot Glass and Willie Holdman Photography. Then there is the Holdman Christmas. Words fail me here – so here are a couple videos.
Amazing Grace Techno – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.
Music Box Dancer – Holdman Christmas Display 2007 from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.
Miracle from 34th Street – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.
I want to do this! For more details on the Holden Christmas display, including directions to the home and show times, visit their Web site (here).