Let there be lights – and lots of ’em

We sure like our holiday lights in these parts – witness the two huge seasonal light displays in the greater Tacoma area this time of year.

So who doesn’t like lights? But we argue that they are even more important and appreciated in these northern latitudes because the days are so short and the nights so long in December. (That’s cosmic karma for being able to enjoy long daylight hours in the summer.)

As we deck our homes and businesses with strings of colored bulbs and twinkling icicle lights, walk through the Zoolights display at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium or drive through the Spanaway Park Fantasy Lights, we are actually participating in an age-old rite practiced by our pagan ancestors. We’re symbolically casting out the dark and welcoming the imminent return of the sun and longer days that comes with the winter solstice on Dec. 22.

Those lights make it just a little easier to bear the “bleak midwinter” and December’s long, cold nights. We applaud those hardy souls who have gotten a jump on their holiday decorating by already stringing their outdoor lights. We suspect they’re among those whose Thanksgiving traditions include Dad working up an appetite by putting up the lights while Mom is elbow-deep in turkey and fixings.

Some private displays are truly spectacular, summoning comparisons to Clark Griswold’s over-the-top display in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” But for many revelers in the South Sound, it’s not quite Christmas without a visit to Zoolights or Fantasy Lights. The hard-core take in both big displays.

Zoolights, now in its 28th year, is a wild riot of lights with a Pacific Rim-centric theme. It’s got a giant octopus, a red rock crab, orcas, jellyfish, sea horses, stingrays, vehicles streaming over the Narrows bridges, swooping eagles, Mount Rainier and much more. It runs nightly through Jan. 3, except for Christmas Eve.

A tip of Santa’s hat to zoo carpenter Dennis Parkhurst, who for 19 years has created some of Zoolights’ most dazzling displays. He’s retiring next summer, so we hope he’s spending the interim passing along his light-display wisdom to others.

Pierce County Parks and Recreation’s drive-through Fantasy Lights, which is marking its 21st year, is a good option for those who like to stay warm and might have trouble walking through a spread-out exhibit. The display has half-price nights tonight and Wednesday and Dec. 7-9.

Thanks to all those who brighten the long, dark nights with their colorful light displays. They make December a little more survivable.

This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Let there be lights – and lots of ’em."