Santa and his Ho Ho Hos: Adding Some Glitz to the Bronx

“Now this, now this is awesome,” toasts the old hunter-green sweatered man, holding up his half empty wine glass. No, he is not toasting the quality of the wine, nor is he toasting the presence of a smiling family. He is toasting the Garabedian house, a Bronx Christmas tradition. Every night of the holiday season, between five thousand and twenty thousand pilgrims pay homage to this Pelham Parkway extravaganza which is lit more brightly than an Atlantic City casino. Children and adults alike can be seen pressing their faces against the fence that separates the public from the private home. Figurines with ghoulish grins dance along to the slightly staticy, possibly Christmas, light FM cheese pouring from the speakers. Glitter catches the eyes of the young, plastic cleavage the eyes of the older. Children ohh and ahh at Beauty and the Beast, teenagers laugh at Santa and his “ho ho hos,” and adults chuckle at the Nativity scene, complete with a half-dressed lady sheep herder. Lounge singers flicker in the floodlights, flowers fill up the empty spaces, and angels overlook everything and everyone. And these are just the old standby statues.
Every year the house has a specific theme. This year, the theme is Cinderella, complete with a carriage and an androgynous footman. This display can be found on the side of the house, between the pimped out Santa and the donation box. Ahh, the donation box. It is important to note that amongst this whole dazzling display, one can find crisp dollar bills splayed across the carpeted ground. Where do the donations go? This year, they are going to help children with diabetes. By December 2nd of this year, the Garabedians had already raised over twenty-five hundred dollars for their cause. Fantastic people guided by the holiday spirit? Probably, but, the Garabedian house has a secret.

The Garabedian’s have kept their lips sealed as to how their house became the brightest beacon on Pelham Parkway. Insiders close to the source claim that this was not always a Christmas-spirited location. In fact, it was closer to Ebenezer Scrooge’s home than anything else. No lights, no music, no glittering plastic half-dressed figurines. No nativity scene, no angels, no flowers. Nothing but cold brick walls. Then, one of the Garabedian children became ill. The young boy found himself with terminal cancer right before the holidays. As he lay in the hospital bed, he admitted that he always dreamt of celebrating Christmas. The nurses and doctors went out of their way to buy presents, decorate a Christmas tree, and put up lights in this boy’s hospital room. The non-religious mother saw how happy her son was, and she wept. The boy, awed by the lights around his bed then said, “I want our house to be this bright on Christmas. I want it to be the brightest!” Once the boy passed away, the mother decided to honor her son’s wish. With the help of Con-Edison (who apparently pays their electricity bill every Christmas), the family put together a display that could quite possibly be seen from space. Hence, the donations--the family wants to help other children with illnesses have a shot at survival.
While this cannot be guaranteed as the true story, it certainly makes for a heartwarming holiday tale. So get on down to this house, check out the plastic characters and the real-life visiting characters with their wine glasses raised in toast that make this house a “must” on the holiday to-do list, and toss a dollar through the fence. ‘Tis the season.

If you can’t figure out a way to make it to the Bronx to check this house out, simply tune into an old-school Mariah Carey video (All I Want for Christmas is You) and indulge in a brief clip of this fabulous Christmas tradition. Also, all of the statues are hand-made by the family and many can be purchased on their website, www.garabedianstatues.com. To see more pictures, check out the Garabedian Christmas webpage at www.garabedianchristmashouse.com

-Jamie "hot legs' Lewis