Matlacha luminary tradition set to continue this year
A tradition of more than 25 years will grace Matlacha again this year on Christmas Eve, lighting up the neighborhoods with paper bags containing candles, while Christmas music flows from area homes.
“It is nice to carry on the tradition,” Debbie Cundall said, adding that it is also nice to keep a community tradition alive.
This year, the Christmas Eve Luminary lights tradition, which was started by Yvone Roach, will grace the other side of Pine Island Road for the first time since its inception.
Kathy Broderick, who moved to Matlacha from Massachusetts two year ago, noticed that the luminary lights only graced one side of the street and she wanted to change that this year.
“We fronted the money this year to get it started,” she said about the luminary tradition. “It will give this side of the street the opportunity to interact with the other side of the street.”
This year there will be 103 luminaries that will outline 1st, 2nd and 3rd streets and, hopeful,y Matlacha Avenue. The remaining bags will be placed down the streets that stem from Island Avenue.
Cundall said they will have approximately 1,500 bags total this year for the luminary.
“Someday are goal would be to have enough donations to add May Street to our tradition,” Karen McKee said. “It is our hope and goal.”
Donations are being sought to help pay for the paper bags and candles for the annual event. Individuals can make a donation before the event or the day of.
At 2 p.m. on Dec. 24, individuals will gather to help fill white paper bags with sand and a light. The location is still being determined where everyone will meet to help fill the bags.
McKee said the Water Company is donating the dirt and sand this year. Once the bags are filled, another set of volunteers will deliver them to their locations.
“Please come out around 2 and look for the pile of dirt,” McKee said.
Broderick encourages individuals to bring a shovel and participate in the bag filling.
She met some of her neighbors last week and heard from many of them that they were looking forward to Christmas Eve.
“Everyone is all excited to have it over here I think it is great community spirit,” she said. “It has been well received. I hope all the neighbors can come out and join us.”
In an effort to bring more luminaries next year, Broderick placed a basket on her porch for donations.
“My neighbors are going to be instructed to put a donation of their choice in an envelop in the basket, so we will all be set for next year,” she said. “It is a neighborhood effort.”
The candles will be lit at dusk on Christmas Eve.
McKee said people come from all over, so they can take a walk down the street to enjoy the lights and the Christmas music on Dec. 24.
“It’s beautiful, especially when people turn on their radios,” she said. “It is absolutely breathtaking.”
All residents are asked to turn on their radio to FM 106.3 before they light their luminaries for everyone to enjoy.
As always, residents are asked to help clean up the luminaries on Christmas Day.
The coordinators of the event want to spread a special thank you to all those who have made a donation to defray the costs each year.