WASHINGTON — It's not unusual to see holiday decorations adorn driveways and exteriors of homes in December. Many wait all year to throw up glitzy lights and reindeer memorabilia, maybe even a wreath or two. But one Virginia man has taken holiday cheer to a whole new level -- inside his living room, in a full-on custom Christmas village.
Rene Ramos of Springfield, Va. is the creator of 'Ramostown', an elaborate Christmas "village" set up with personal trinkets, ornaments, and moving parts. What started out as an interest in minor decor soon grew into a deeply invested collection.
"It all started in 1975, when we saw for the first time all these illuminated houses... we got two to put under the tree, and from then on, we just went into a kick of buying these things and it became a sort of collection," Ramos said.
Ramos said the collection kept expanding, having to move from under the tree to the sunroom just to keep up with the growing pieces.
"It soon took over the sunroom and kept on growing, so finally we decided to bring it to the biggest room in the house," Ramos said. "As you can see, I don't have any more room!"
Now, the Virginian has roughly 80 houses and a plethora of games and trees. Wires and connectors run underneath the fake snow and moving pieces and back to 22 transformers, allowing the village to light up properly. Setting up the town takes Ramos over a week, but he said he enjoys every moment of the festivities.
"It normally takes about eight days, but it is the most enjoyable eight days that you can have," he said, smiling. "Because you have the feeling of creating something, and every year something is different."
Each piece of Ramostown is more than just memorabilia and festive trinkets -- Ramos said that for him, the town also serves as a way of connecting with his family members. His family has been in the northern Virginia area for roughly 57 years, and his Christmas hobby is a fun way of paying homage to them.
"I sort of incorporated the town to the family," he said. "Members of the family have specific houses after them, and my son made some signs for the houses and even for the whole town."
Neighbors and friends of the Ramos family visit the collection during the holiday season, and Ramos said he sees both new and familiar faces each year. Most of all, he said he is inspired to give more holiday spirit back to the community, and that he loves putting a smile on his loved ones' faces.
"The holiday season is all about family, and that's exactly what my Ramostown is about," Ramos said.
As for the future of Ramostown, Rene remains hopeful.
"As long as I have the strength to do it I will," he said. "Then hopefully my kids will take over and continue the tradition of Ramostown for years."
