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Oh Christmas Tree: Birmingham Welcomes the Holiday Season

Officials from Birmingham and Metro Detroit — as well as Santa himself — rang in the holiday season Wednesday night in Shain Park.

 
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Santa welcomes the Olson family: Tom, 6-year-old Kettie, brother Tommy and sister Tovie (front) and Kari. Chris Wall
Photos (17)

Photos

Birmingham welcomes the holiday season at the annual tree-lighting ceremony.
Miss Michigan Jacyln Schultz welcomes families to Shain Park Wednesday.
Birmingham Mayor George Dilgard welcomes Santa Claus to Birmingham.
Cynthia Canty from Michigan Radio welcomes the large crowd at Shain Park.
Richard Astrein from Astrein Jewelers shares glow sticks with Kellan and Liam Burry and their mom Ashleigh.
The Beverly Elementary choir, directed by Terrie Cudnohufsky, performs before the large crowd in Shain Park.

Wednesday night was a big night for Birmingham, as city officials, residents, Miss Michigan and even Santa Claus himself welcomed the holiday season with the annual tree lighting ceremony in Shain Park.

The big names aside, 2012 was an important year for the tree-lighting ceremony. For the first time, Birmingham is celebrating the holiday season with an artificial Christmas tree in Shain Park, after years of decorating the Shain Park climbing tree.

However, Wednesday was a joyous night whether the tree was artificial or real. The student choir from Beverly Elementary School, as well as the Birmingham Brass Quintet, entertained the crowd. Meanwhile, Birmingham rung in the season with the help of Michigan Radio's Cynthia Canty, 2012's Miss Michigan Jacyln Schultz, Birmingham mayor George Dilgard and — of course — Santa Claus.

Related Topics: Holiday Guide 2012 and holidays 2012

Robert Olson

8:26 am on Thursday, November 22, 2012

Excellent photo coverage. Good photo of two kids ringing the bells as we played Jingle Bells. Rob Olson, Birmingham Brass

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Alan Stamm

1:05 pm on Thursday, November 22, 2012

Sorry to spoil the holiday spirit by going grammar cop on you, but a word in the headline deck hurts my eyes and mind.

Rang is the past tense of ring. Rung is the past participle, as in: The bell hasn't rung yet.

Actually, "ring" would have been fine to be consistent with the present tense main headline.

(And yes, this right here may explain my lack of holiday party invitations.)

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Margaret Betts

9:30 am on Friday, November 23, 2012

I love you Alan Stamm, whomever you are! I would flunk an english class but I recognize when certain things don't seem right, as hanged by the neck vs hung, continuously vs continually etc. and NOBODY is happy when I try to help them!

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Alan Stamm

10:11 am on Friday, November 23, 2012

Ah, Margaret, you had me at whomever!

And yes, 'tis a thankless, friendless duty we self-appointed language purists uphold.

Racer Boy

2:18 pm on Thursday, November 22, 2012

Just another example of our pitiful educational system...and these are supposed to be "journalists" writing this stuff.

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Alan Stamm

10:12 am on Friday, November 23, 2012

Now I regret opening a door for your venom, and hope you outgrow being a Hater Boy.

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