For those residents who are new to our neighborhood, you may be wondering what these “Luminaries” are all about. This long tradition in Tacoma Hills was started in the 1980s by some residents who wanted to bring some light & joy to our neighborhood on Christmas Eve.
Your Board has carried this tradition on, and made it easy for you to participate! We order candles & white paper bags in bulk and pass on the savings to you. Your purchase helps defray the cost of the more than 500 luminaries that our neighborhood volunteers place out along the sidewalk between our entrances on Hamilton Rd, and around the Lagoon. You will see that we use white plastic, round or square, containers, which have been reused for many years. Perhaps you have found some in your garage, left by a previous homeowner. The round containers are no longer available for sale, except maybe on the resale market.
Some “how-to’s”: If you have no containers for your luminary candles, we have white paper bags, which work very well! Just open the bag, and fill it 2 or 3 inches with some stabilizing material, such as sand, table salt, rock salt, kitty litter, birdseed, etc. If we have measurable snow, some handfuls of snow work great too! Place the bags out, maybe 2 or 3 feet apart, by dusk on Dec. 24, and center a candle firmly in each bag. Light the candles at dusk, using a BBQ stick lighter.
How many luminaries do I need? Ah, the eternal question! If you have a regular-size lot, one (1) set of 12 will look great spaced along the street. Place them off the pavement. If you have a large or corner lot, or you want to line your drive or walk, too, then purchase 2 or 3+ sets of 12.
What do they cost? We have kept our prices the same for many years! One set of 12 candles + 12 bags is $8, or if you just need the candles, one set of 12 candles is $6.
How do I get them? Our order form has circulated on all of our neighborhood social media and is also included here. What will these luminaries look like? See the photo on the order form.
The online and mail-in order period is Nov 30 to Dec. 15. After Dec 15, shop in person!
The Luminary Store is open for cash & carry self-service shopping. We’ll stay open thru Dec 24, for you last-minute shoppers, while supplies last! Just follow the signs at 2003 Pawnee Trail, to the side porch behind the garage.
Please fill out an order form and leave your payment, cash or check to “THHA” in the box provided. Please sign up to help place, light, and/or collect the luminaries at the Front or Lagoon too! Questions? call or text Elaine Putvin at 586-215-3043.
Our Christmas Eve luminaries are the highlight of the season for many! It’s one of the main reasons our residents say they LOVE our neighborhood! Use caution when viewing; there will be many cars & pedestrians in the neighborhood! Happy Holidays!