The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be joining the Christmas enthusiasts who keep their lights up well past New Year's Day.

The Christmas lights on Temple Square, which were turned on for the first time this holiday season on Friday, will be turned on each evening until the end of the 2002 Winter Olympics in February, said Peter Lassig, the head gardener for Temple Square.

Several displays and even the colors of the lights have been changed to make a more attractive display for tourists who will be visiting Salt Lake City in the coming months, he said.

"We've done them (the trees) in colors that will be acceptable in any time of year," he said. "We have a large amount of snow and clear bulbs, but not as much red, green and gold."

The color changes were meant to appeal to both Christmas and Olympic visitors, but some people were sad to see some of their favorite colors from past displays disappear.

"Pink's my favorite and it's not here," said Dorrie Barnes from Logan, Cache County.

Although most of the trees were not lit with the traditional colors of Christmas, the oranges, golds and whites predominantly used are beautiful combinations, she said.

The Church of Jesus Christ also replaced the 35-year-old figures in the nativity scene.

"We've got new figures with clean clothing and a new soundtrack," Lassig said.

One thing that did not change about the Temple Square Christmas display is its ability to attract families, even on a chilly and somewhat rainy winter night.

"Just doing a family outing is what excites me the most, just having the family together," said Sarah Smith from American Fork, Utah County.

"It's kind of a tradition," said Smith's 16-year-old son Nate. "We come every year."

The Barnes family also makes the trip to Temple Square almost every year, Barnes said.

"It just gets you in the holiday spirit and in the mood for Christmas time with all of these lights," she said.

The lights are the main feature of the Temple Square display, but other decorations also help add to the Christmas spirit, Lassig said.

There are several thousand floating candles in the reflective pools surrounding the Salt Lake Temple, he said.

The candles are actually electrically powered, but most people think they are real, he said.

There are also luminaries placed around Temple Square and the Conference Center, which have words associated with Christmas, like peace, hope and joy, translated into 180 languages on them, he said.

"Our purpose for the luminaries is to show the way to Christ," he said.



Copyright Brigham Young University 25 Nov 2001