Lighting of Temple Square a Tradition Since 1965
Nov 23, 2018, 11:36 PM
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Salt Lake City. Close to one million Christmas lights were turned on Friday night at Temple Square.
Even with the cold temperatures and rain showers, there was a great turnout. The lighting of Temple Square has been a tradition since 1965.
Man hadn’t even stepped foot on the moon the year people first admired the lights.
“We’re just here with our family,” Jake Wright said. “We’re visiting Utah for Thanksgiving and we just thought we’d stop by as a family and enjoy.”
After all these years, the crowds still come out in the cold.
“Well, its 70 degrees in Mesa, so it’s nice, but we may miss that a little,” Wright said.
Wright may be longing for the Arizona sunshine, but he came all this way for the big reveal.
“(There was) just this thunderous applause and it was great,” he said.
It’d become a signal of the season.
“It’s definitely the beginning of the holidays seeing the lights come on,” Jan Duval said.
It’s a chance to see a little bit of holiday magic.
“This is probably the first time in 10 years that (my mom and I) have been here, so it’s pretty special,” said Janae Duval.
It’s a chance to reconnect with friends from long ago.
“No way, you look so familiar,” Wright said to a family passing by. “It’s so good to see you all.”
Some crossed state lines to be at the lighting.
“They’re really pretty,” Duval said. “It’s definitely not something we have in Idaho Falls.”
Others came from half a world away.
“What part of Brazil are you from,” Wright asked a young couple.
It doesn’t matter where you’re from, how far you traveled, or how chilly it may be, the festive feeling is the same.
“It’s just kind of cool to see all the lights and people’s reactions to it,” Duval said. “It just feels really good, and a little like home.”
The lights at Temple Square will be on through Jan. 2, 2019.
