Virginia Family Celebrates 50 Years of Lighting Up Their Neighborhood for Christmas. People in the state of Virginia go all out when it comes to Christmas décor. According to WRIC 8 News, the Phifers, who reside at 9604 Asbury Court, Henrico, VA 23229, have been doing it longer and bigger than any other Virginian.
The Phifers decorations
The license plate on Bobby Phifer’s truck reads “Mr. X-Mas.” When it comes to decorating, he claims to keep his group close. He is a one-man show, with the exception of his wife, friends, and daughters.
For fifty years, he has been commemorating their home. This year, celebrate the event by seeing the birthday candle on the roof.
Origin of the Phifers’ decorating tradition
In 1974, the Phifers began their tradition. Bobby discovered a shoebox filled with C9-bulb Christmas lights in the shed when he was around 8 or 9.
Phifer stated:
“The first year, my dad and I put them up by the door and the window. The second year, it was door, window, and the bush and it kept growing.”
During his adolescence, Bobby and his mother would go to yard sales in search of unusual and inexpensive holiday decorations. A nativity tableau that Phifer received as a 16th birthday present is the oldest ornament on his lawn. “It will always be out here,” he says, regardless of “how crumbly it gets.”
From start to finish
The Phifer household celebrates Christmas for five months, beginning in September. Phifer stated:
“Everything in my life revolves around those five months dedicated to Christmas no matter what.”
The remaining seven months are spent storing the decorations in their 24-foot-wide by 30-foot-long backyard garage.
- Phifer got to work decorating in September.
- October: Ribbons, wreaths, and lights adorned the house. They wrapped the 80-foot trees.
- November: There were lights all over the yard. At six o’clock on Thanksgiving, the mansion was formally illuminated.
- The Phifer house is visited by locals and visitors throughout December and January.
Cost of Phifer’s decorations
According to Phifer, he spends $250 to $300 annually only on zip ties. In total, he spends roughly $10,000 to maintain his business. At their hot chocolate station, the family collects money.
The Phifers’ invitation
People compliment him and his wife every night for being the “brightness of the holiday,” according to Phifer. The public is welcome to see his family’s home on Asbury Court. Bobby concurs, “Bring your kids, park, walk up, see it, and spend time looking at everything.”
