Christmas trees are decorated with unusual themes such as M&Ms, baseballs and classic films of the era.
In the US state of Ohio lives a woman who attracts visitors from all over the world because she has 727 Christmas trees in her home.
Barbara Hardesty opens the door to visitors every weekend for a show that, in addition to hundreds of trees, also features more than 20,000 lights.
“I just had a couple from Hawaii. We’ve had people from Spain. Some are from Florida and Pennsylvania. So far this year we’ve had over 900,” the woman told The New York Post.
“Everything is on a remote control. I have four remotes that control the house,” he adds.
The woman also confesses that she has no idea how many ornaments she has accumulated, but says they take up 63 storage boxes.
The collection, however, is nothing new for the American who always had dozens of Christmas trees at home and organized an annual event that donated to charity.
But in April 2011, after being diagnosed with endometrial cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, Barbara Hardesty’s Christmas spirit soared.
“I didn’t know if I was going to survive and I just felt like if I just worked hard to get from 60 trees, which I had the year before, to 100 and focused on that, then maybe I would have a chance,” he told the same outlet.
Its Christmas market of sorts opened in a challenging year, 2020, during the pandemic, but always with the necessary precautions in place to continue.
“We kept our distance, we had people every 15 minutes, so no one was in the same room unless they were huddled together, and no one got sick,” he says.
The Christmas mission has indispensable help. Barbara Hardesty’s husband, Kyle, and her son, Greg, help her with the task of taking down all the trees and decorations as early as July.
The Christmas trees, distributed in rooms on the first floor of the house, on the porch, and even in the bathroom, are decorated with unusual themes such as M&Ms chocolates, baseballs and classic films of the time.
“I have a tree that has letters on it that Kyle’s grandfather wrote to his future wife in 1921, 1922 and 1923. And people literally pull them down to read them,” reveals the American.
Barbara Hardesty is a professional baker and doesn’t let visitors leave empty-handed. Once the visit is over, guests can enjoy cookies and hot cocoa made by the hostess.
Visitors, if they choose, can also donate to help a local homeless shelter, Faith Mission, or a faith-based rehabilitation center, The Refuge. In 2023, more than $2,700 (about €2,597) was raised for charity.
“I honestly believe that God blessed me with this department to spread Christmas joy to others,” Barbara Hardesty shares with The New York Times.
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