Rekindling a Local Holiday Tradition

The gentleman’s name is yet unknown, but a tradition the anonymous Lorain Road resident began more than a half century ago is alive and well. According to legend, the San Marino resident owned a metal tubing company and one Christmas, decided to give every family on his street a red tube that had been designed to look like a candle with a smudge pot affixed at the top.
A smudge pot is an oil-burning device used to prevent frost on fruit trees, and in this case, it ushered in the Christmas season with a warm sense of goodwill. Like a stock market graph, the tradition waned and surged over the years, as families relocated and the 5-foot candles were broken or stolen.

But in 2015, the heritage received a much-needed boost, courtesy of neighbors Connor Lee and Luke Aloe, who were at the time 9 and 11 years old. Connor’s mom, Lisa Nguyen, had discovered one of the forgotten candles in the family’s garage, providing the spark needed by the two industrious young men.

Luke and his father shopped for supplies such as metal tubes, paint and tiki torches so he and Connor could make kits for neighbors. The dynamic duo then took a wagon loaded with candle supplies to peddle from house to house. Some Lorain Road neighbors even brought out the candles they had from decades ago.
Connor and Luke, who both attended Valentine Elementary School at the time, circulated through the neighborhood between 5 and 5:30 each evening to light the candles and then again between 8:30 and 9 p.m. to snuff them out. As they have done for the 50 or so years the project has been in existence, homeowners were also asked to keep the candles in a safe place until the next year.
And while their iteration of the tradition has remained, times have changed. To comply with local fire codes, Aloe and Lee have purchased solar-powered battery-operated devices that fit atop the traditional candles. They flicker and can be programmed to begin and end illumination at a precise time. Luckily, they don’t need to be snuffed out.
Forty-two such devices were received over the weekend and are currently in use. The two entrepreneurs have approached the San Marino Firefighters Association to see if they will help offset the cost.
Lee and Aloe have reaped tangible benefits from their contributions to the spirit of togetherness that is felt by those on their stretch of Lorain Road.
“To me, the tradition is our way of bringing the community together and making the holidays a little brighter,” said Lee, who is now a freshman at Flintridge Prep. “In the six years we’ve been doing the candles, I’ve gotten to know and make connections with many of my neighbors, several of whom I had never met before.”
Aloe agrees. “I always feel rewarded when I see the flickering glow of each candle line the block,’ said the Polytechnic sophomore. “So much work goes into making the tradition happen behind the scenes. In November, we always take candle orders, buy supplies at Home Depot, and carefully make each candle, which takes hours of our time before the candles are even up. Once they’re up, I feel immense pride seeing the festive decorations in front of every home, both day and night. It makes me feel like all the work I do to prepare before the Christmas season is worth it.”
The challenges brought on by the pandemic have provided extra motivation for Lee and Aloe.
“Especially during these times, I realize that those connections really matter,” said Lee. “In short, the tradition means community, and the joy that comes from that.”
“I felt it was more important than ever to bring Christmas cheer to the neighborhood, especially with many people walking in the evenings,” Aloe said.
Were he still around today, the semi-anonymous owner of a metal tubing company would no doubt be beaming with approval.