Nightly hunt for a new Holiday Window leads neighbors across this Tacoma neighborhood
Every day of December, a decorated holiday window appears somewhere in Tacoma’s North End like an advent calendar.
On Dec. 1, a nativity scene resembling a stained glass window appeared along Union Avenue.
On Dec. 6, an octopus, reminiscent of the local legend that a giant octopus lives under the Narrows Bridge, made its home on a J Street window.
Near each window, a sign declares the decorations as part of Holiday Windows, a tradition started this year by North End resident Brad Stave. When a new window is revealed, it is placed on a map for people to find it.
Stave, 44, was inspired by similar traditions in Europe.
“I spent some time in the UK, and I saw it in a neighborhood and thought this would be a great thing to see and do within the North End of Tacoma, to really celebrate the season together as a community,” Stave told The News Tribune.
In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stave also says it’s a safe way to bring the community closer together.
“I think something like Holiday Windows is pretty critical at a time like now because folks want to feel connected with each other,” Stave said.
Stave started reaching out to residents in October to get them to join the project. While it was a slow start, 24 people signed up to participate, meaning a new Holiday Window will appear every day through Christmas Eve.
Ryan McDonald was the first to reveal his art on Dec. 1. McDonald is a local artist who has murals in McMenamins Elks Temple in Tacoma.
McDonald used a dry erase marker to mark the window and filled in the shapes with tissue paper, giving the effect of a stained glass window.
McDonald said Holiday Windows is like a treasure hunt in his own neighborhood.
“Everybody needs some holiday cheer this year, and it’s a nice, socially distanced way to do that,” McDonald said.
Emily Seaholm has prepared her display, although it won’t go live until Dec. 13, the day of Saint Lucy’s Day, also called Lucia Day.
“My family history is that they came from Sweden, so when I was a child we celebrated Saint Lucia,” Seaholm said.
St. Lucia’s Day is celebrated with girls outfitted in white dresses with red sashes and crowns of candles on their heads. Using tissue paper and glue on her windows, Seaholm depicted one of those girls, including the Swedish flag, coffee and saffron rolls, which are part of the holiday tradition.
Seaholm said she’s incorporated Holiday Windows into a nightly walk with her family.
“I’ve enjoyed it so much, and I’m so excited to see it grow,” she said.
Anna Wilson, a student at Stadium High School, helped start the project and runs the website and social media. She also helped create the octopus display that appeared Dec. 6.
“Having something like this is just really good to make the community feel connected,” she said.
So far, Stave said the reception has been positive. People are interacting with the QR codes on the signs and the Holiday Windows website, holidaywindows.org.
“A lot of times I’ve driven by and folks are starting to congregate in front of the houses and look at them,” Stave said.
Kyle Price, chair of the North End Neighborhood Council, said Stave approached the council about the project, and he thought it was a great idea.
“People are looking for something where they can connect to the neighborhood and connect to their neighbors,” Price said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March, Price said there was a feeling of disconnect as community meetings were canceled or transitioned to virtual settings.
“But I think that sense of loss actually made people hungry for what kind of gains you could make,” Price said. “How can you build community after you’ve had a sense of loss?”
Stave said he hopes that Holiday Windows will continue next year.
“If the community responds to this and they see it as a benefit and blessing to the neighborhood and to the neighbors, I’d love to see this continue and become a tradition in Tacoma,” he said.
