Lighting up the Christmas sky

By GUY PRIEL

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- It wasn't a star that led people to Schell's Brewery Sunday in celebration of Christmas Eve.

Instead, it was the glow of approximately 400 luminarias covering the ground around the brewery and following the path through the garden to the Schell Mansion.

Despite the sub-zero temperatures, residents still visited the site to tour the gardens and follow the candle-lighted path.

"It is so peaceful to see all these candles," Anna Miller of rural New Ulm said. "I was on my way to church and heard about this, so I stopped by. Seeing the candles reminds me of the light of the world and the promise of Christmas."

Workers at Schell's spent the afternoon on Saturday arranging the paper bags, filling them with sand, and placing the candles in preparation for the event. Once lit, the candles were allowed to burn out. New candles were set in place on Christmas Day for a repeat performance.

As businesses shut down, the silence of a cold December night was the only thing on the mind of Thomas Parker of rural Gaylord.

"I have family in the area and they mentioned this to me," he said. "I decided to stop in here on my way to Mankato. It is really awesome."

And the star shining above the Schell's Mansion brought memories of another Christmas 2000 years ago.

"There is a cross made of luminarias over there, which is really nice," Parker said. "With a little imagination, that star could be the same one that led shepherds so long ago. If you listen hard enough in the silence, you might just hear some angels sing."

The cold was a problem for the James Jacoby family of rural Courtland, who preferred to remain in the warmth of their vehicle to see the luminarias.

"Something like this is nice to see, but it is just too bitterly cold to get out," Jacoby said. "It isn't good on the kids. But it is nice. People here took a lot of time and effort to prepare this, which makes the holiday more special."