Colorful lights brightening holiday season

In the bleak mid-winter/ Frosty wind made moan; Earth stood hard as iron,/ Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow,/ Snow on snow,/ In the bleak mid-winter/ Long ago.  – Opening lines of Christmas poem by Christina Rossetti

The coast can be a forbidding place in the thick, dark coldness of winter, especially at the time of Christmas and the winter solstice when nights are longest. 

But as Delaware’s Cape Region has proven in this year made even darker by the pandemic, creative, bright and colorful displays of lights can bring positive feelings of joy.

The new Lewes Lights program has been perfect this season, providing what promises to be the beginning of an enduring tradition to further brighten the holidays.  

All of our downtowns feel brighter than ever this year, as does our Route 1 main street – all bustling with holiday traffic and activity.

At ground zero of the coastal resort area – downtown Rehoboth Beach – the islands of Rehoboth Avenue, their trees festooned with shining lights, can’t help but bring smiles to the faces of the thousands who cruise that strip as part of an annual Christmas pilgrimage. The return of the nativity scene to the Bandstand, along with other expressions of diverse faiths in the glow of the city’s majestic Christmas tree, makes the pilgrimage aspect even more meaningful.

The announcement that the iconic Dolle’s sign at the intersection of Boardwalk and Rehoboth Avenue may be coming down saddens many. It’s the strongest signal yet – along with the departure of Nicola Pizza and other longstanding businesses – that Rehoboth Beach is transforming right before our very eyes. What will happen next? Stay tuned. There’s nothing constant but change.

In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful holiday lights along with the joy and hope of the Christmas season.