It wouldn't be Christmas in Dedham without the holiday display at Rita Mae Cushman's house on Garfield Road, where Santa will arrive by fire truck – for the 42d year.
"We've done it for three generations," Cushman said. "It's a great tradition, and I hope to carry it on for many more years. I'm 69, but I tell everybody I'm 39 and holding."
Cushman said she starts preparing in August by hauling out the boxes and boxes of Christmas lights and checking each one. Family, friends, and neighbors pitch in for the final effort, stringing thousands of lights and arranging scores of plastic Santas, elves, penguins, cartoon characters, reindeer, carolers, angels, nativity scenes, and the like at 121 Garfield Road.
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Cushman said she always adds something new. This year she got Mr. and Mrs. Frosty statues, four small nutcrackers, and a blow-up character from the movie "Frozen."
She said the display will stay up until Dec. 27, and she will be serving hot chocolate and cookies to visitors until then. Santa is scheduled to arrive Dec. 6 at 2:15 p.m., Dec. 13 and 20 at 5 p.m., and Dec. 23 at 6:30 p.m.
Johanna Seltz can be reached at seltzjohanna@gmail.com.