By Thomas Hair
Opinions Editor

The winter holiday season is such a special time of year. Everywhere you go, there are carols playing, lights shining, bells jingling. While just about everyone throws up some festive decorations in the weeks before Christmas, others in Coppell take home decor to a whole new level, decking out their entire homes year-round, and especially, for holiday season.

Every year, the Assistance League of Coppell hosts a tour of four houses that were decorated in preparation for this event. The homes being toured this year feature decorations such as Candy-Land themed rooms, magnificent Christmas trees and an impressive collection of 76 decorative crosses. The event lasts for two days, when the extensively decorated houses are presented to the local community. The 2012 Christmas home tour takes place on Friday, November 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday, December 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is also an additional candelight tour from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday. The candlelight tour is a treasured part of the event because it is the only time when popular decorations such as outdoor lights can be fully appreciated in the dark.

The cost to attend is $25 at the door or $20 if you pay in advance. You may purchase a ticket at the Coppell Assistance League’s website or at sponsoring locations such as Frost Bank, J. Macklin’s Grill, Run On or Heaven Sent Children’s Boutique. All proceeds from the Christmas home tour directly fund the Assistance League’s philanthropic programs, such as Helping Hearts and Operation School Bell.

The houses that will be featured in this year’s tour are the homes of Suzanne and Brian Barker (259 Stanton Court), Lynette and Derek Winkler (929 DeForest Road), Shawnee Ingrum (516 Carter Drive) and Denise and Steve Brown (524 Carter Drive). Each house is very different and a lot work and money has gone into making the 2012 Christmas home tour a special one.