Filomena Sorace transforms her home into a winter wonderland each December so she can share some Christmas cheer.
Since moving to Port Royal nine years ago, Sorace has decked the halls – inside and out.
“I love Christmas,” she says. “I love what it brings. I know it is a hard time for some people. Believe me, I have had my fair share of hard times, too. Life is hard, in general. But it does make you smile. That’s all it is about for me."
Sorace is thrilled that her decorating efforts make the season brighter for her neighbours and friends
“It grows every year,” she says of her displays. “I just kind of acquire more and more. It just brings so much joy to the neighbourhood that I can’t help but do it.”
While passersby enjoy the festive vibe in Sorace’s yard, those lucky enough to step inside are treated to a home where every room is filled with the holiday spirit – and Santas, snowmen, wreaths, reindeer, garland and trees.
“Every year it just magically continues to grow,” she says. “I think I have reached my capacity on the inside. I think I’ve got every nook and cranny, so I don’t think I can get more.”
No surface is immune from Christmas décor, as a skydiving Santa and an upside down tree even hang from Sorace’s ceiling. Her Santa collection ranges from wee Santa figurines to two six-foot tall Santas.
“I have a Santa and a Mrs. Claus that I had shipped here from Australia. They are five feet. I was looking for a big Mrs. Claus – I think there are not enough Mrs. Clauses – and I found her online,” she laughs. “I have a large six-foot sitting Santa – oh, he is beautiful. I have lots of Santas.”
While it’s a lot of work to decorate her home, Sorace loves being surrounded by Christmas. Guests enjoy the cozy atmosphere of her home as well.
“I think it’s a nostalgic thing,” she says. “The warmth and happiness it brings to people is amazing.”
Friends from Sorace’s university days come by for a visit each December. Before their first visit, she warned them she goes all out with her Christmas décor.
“I said, ‘It’s like Christmas exploded in my house,’” she recalls. “No one really grasped the gravity of it. The first time they came over, they were in awe. They said, ‘It’s like a store. We don’t know where to look. Everywhere we look, we see something new.’ Then it was a regular routine whether they would come over every Christmas because they wanted to come to my environment and be in my home.”
For Sorace, it’s a labour of love to transform her Queensborough home into the North Pole in New Westminster for the holidays. This year, she hired two local kids for a couple of days to help her decorate, a process that takes two solid weeks to complete.
Whether it’s decorating her house, hosting a gingerbread competition for neighbours or making cookies to share, Sorace enjoys keeping the spirit of Christmas alive.
“We had a challenging thing – our father died when we were younger, so we didn’t have a lot when we were growing up. Someone asked me once, ‘Is it something you think you missed?’ I don’t know that it’s something I missed – I think it’s just that childlike feeling you get. I like the joy and happiness, just making you feel like a big kid,” she says. “I just love it. I’m so happy to share it with people.”
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