When assistant film director Jamie Freitag bought the corner home at Porter Lane and Ardmore Drive in Hermosa Beach he found hooks running the length of the roof. From that, he concluded the previous owners must have hung Christmas lights. Though he grew up Jewish in Scarsdale New York, he decided to continue the previous owners’ Christmas light tradition.
He began modestly with just roof line lights in 1998, the year he bought the house. With each successive year, he added a new decoration. His goal became to have the best Christmas light decorations in Hermosa Beach.
Three years ago he and girlfriend Christa Fordan added a larger than life Frosty the Snowman. Two years ago they added presents big enough to hold dishwashers. This year, they added 10-foot candy canes holding a Merry Christmas sign over Frosty. In deference to his Jewish background, and nudging from his Jewish friends, Freitag added a Chanukah bear. Hundreds of small, glowing Santas ring the display. Fordan found the vintage blow mold figures during visits to antique shops in her hometown of Walton, Kentucky. An Elf on the Shelf keeps an eye on bad boys and girls who might be tempted to steal the decorations.
The couple said it takes just just four days to set up the the lights and figures. They take them down shortly after New Year’s Day.
Judging from the number of cars that stop to admire the Christmas tree decorations, Freitag and Fordan have achieved their goal of having the best home Christmas decorations in Hermosa Beach. ER
