By Craig Blackwell
craig@newsroom.byu.edu
Thanksgiving signifies a variety of family traditions -- but one popular tradition is attending the unveiling of the thousands of Christmas lights that adorn the grounds of Temple Square.
The lights are traditionally turned on the day after Thanksgiving.
'We have a crew of about 20 or so people who work on the lights. We started putting up the lights this year around the first of August. It will take us until the end of February to get everything down,' said Lloy Romrell, assistant grounds manager at Temple Square.
With the addition of the new Conference Center and the additional park area constructed on Main Street, Romrell and his crew have more areas to light this year.
'This year we will do all the lights on the grounds of the new Conference Center as well as the park on Main Street. We also do the decorations inside the visitors' centers and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and the Church Office Building,' Romrell said.
More than 16,000 strands of lights will be used just on Temple Square, Romrell said.
There is one particular pine tree that is located on the east side of Temple Square usually decked out in red lights. Romrell said that it won't be used this year because of the construction on Main Street.
'That tree is a popular one among visitors. However, during the construction the tree went through a lot of stress, so we decided not to light it this year. Normally we put 1,100 strands of lights in that tree alone. There is more power that goes to that tree than to an average house,' Romrell said.
One of the biggest changes this year will be a brand new nativity scene. According to Romrell the old one has been replaced with a much more authentic, life-like scene.
'We used the video Luke 2 a lot in the designing of the new scene. The scene will be set in a cave instead of a stable. The figures are much more real looking. The eyes are glass, the figures even have knuckles and fingernails. We hope to use lasers for the star,' Romrell said.
For the first time, there is no official ceremony planned to unveil the lights. Romrell said because of the large crowds each year it gets harder and harder to control.
The lights will come on at dusk and be turned off around 10 p.m. Visitors will have until the first week of January to view the lights.