Trees are up, wreaths are hung, and stockings are beginning to fill, but nothing says Christmas like the switching on of New York City’s iconic Dyker Heights lights. The dazzling, over-the-top displays of ornaments, inflatable Santas and thousands of lights are back, adorning the homes in the Brooklyn neighborhood. Stunning photographs capture the sheer scale of the festivities, with giant snowmen on lawns, reindeer climbing roofs, and nutcrackers banging drums. An estimated 100,000 people flock to Dyker Heights Boulevard to see the displays each year, but not everyone is a fan. Some residents call the displays an eyesore that draws unwanted crowds to their streets……bah, humbug! The tradition began in 1986, with a single home owned by Angelo and Lucy Spata. Each year for the past four decades, the displays have grown bigger and bolder, as residents compete to outdo one another. The decorations are normally put up after Thanksgiving and stay through the first week of January.
