DIY Luminaries on a Freedom Township hill

A young artist’s rendition of the luminaria tradition along Pleasant Lake Road.

A luminary tradition that’s a bit different from the “official” Manchester version, but equally treasured by those who participate, started in 1991 on the hill on East Pleasant Lake Road, between Esch and Fletcher Roads.

“It started with just a few tealight candles lit in the driveway,” says Dolores Lindemann, one of the originators with the Kress and Schaible families of this special tradition. “I’m not sure exactly why we started – but we continue because it’s part of our Christmas celebration.”

Done among close neighbors – “or what I consider extended family,” Dolores adds, “It’s our way of celebrating Christmas together.”

Because the winter winds in the high country can play havoc with paper bags, the neighbors decided to save plastic milk jugs for their luminaria, which has served them well for the last 27 years.

The 300 or so milk jugs used are stored in the Lindemann barn and hung from the ceiling, and are saved from year to year. On Christmas Eve, the families gather at the barn and bring down the milk jugs to start the assembly line: Fill the jugs with enough stand to stabilize the votive candles; put the candles in the jugs (“wicks up!”) and hand the jugs over to the people loading the trailer and trucks.  

“At that point we break for cookies and hot cocoa to warm up a little bit,” Dolores says.

Then it’s time to set the jugs on the road. The people who set them out determine how many steps in between each jug – for the women it’s about 25 steps – but if it’s the guys it’s 20.

Then about 4:15-ish the candles are lit. Everyone helps and it’s done before 5, for early church services.

“It’s a peaceful walk up and down the road making sure the candles are burning and talking to whoever is close,” Dolores says. “I like to take a few minutes to stand at the top of the hill and look both directions after everything is lit. It is beautiful! If you’ve never driven out this direction on Christmas Eve, you need to. Over the years, many more neighbors have joined in on the Luminaries. It’s a different feel away from the street lights in town.”

Dolores says that over the years, she has received many “thank you” letters and other acknowledgements of the importance of the luminaria to many other people who happen through this beautiful sight on Christmas Eve.

“When we have garage sales, people ask about the jugs hanging in the barn and after hearing about our tradition they need to come by,” she says. “One lady I remember stopped at the garage sale just to tell me what they had meant to her that year. My parents would drive here from Saline on Christmas Eve after church just to see them. I told a friend from Tecumseh about them. One year she and her husband came and drove through; she said ‘I had no idea it would be so breathtaking.’ They now try to make it every year.

“People will stop when we set out and then again when we return to light the luminaries, just to say thank you. We love watching the cars drive through after dark, driving slowly to take it in; some shut off their lights for our 3/4 mile span of luminaries.”

When the tradition started, all three families had small children. We would not let them help setting them out on the road. Grandma Kress would watch them in the house. But those children are now adults and they continue to come and help. It is just a part of Christmas. One who lives in Ohio now actually started the tradition in his own subdivision last year, in honor of his Grandpa. Dolores’ daughter says her favorite part is watching her kids enjoy the tradition as much as she does, and standing in the middle of the road at midnight with no cars in sight, just looking at how peaceful it is.

“Such a simple act has touched so many of us on this one special night,” Dolores says.

Keep the luminaria tradition going strong in Manchester! You can DIY it, as the Kress, Lindemann, and Schaible families do. Or you can get your easy-to-assemble kits from the Manchester Lions Club at the Kingsley-Jenter House, 302 E. Main Street: Friday, December 21st, 10 am – 4 pm; Saturday, 22nd, 10 am – 4 pm; Sunday, December 23rd, 10 am – 2 pm; and Christmas Eve, 10 am – 4 pm.

Put your candles out by 6 pm (or earlier!) and watch the soft glow warm the streets of Manchester … lighting the way for the “reason for this season.”

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.