Nick Celenza decks out his lawn in North Potomac, Maryland, every year for the holidays. He usually starts early -- Nov. 1 -- and goes big, putting in about 10 hours over two days.
“I love the fact that people love it too; that’s my favorite part,” Celenza said.
But after he was diagnosed with a degenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) this summer, it took a lot more effort this year to make his lawn feel festive, his family said.
Celenza pointed to the two inflatables that started the cheerful display. One, a minion, is dressed in a red holiday sweater and a Santa hat. The other consists of a red wagon -- labelled The Merry Waggin -- full of Santa hat-donning dogs.
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Fifteen years on, the display of inflatable characters has grown to 21, some sentimental, others given to the Celenza family. The festive display is now so popular that strangers stop by to take pictures.
“There are a bunch of buses, Montgomery County buses, that come by. Kids are yelling out; they’re always yelling out; they love it," Celenza said.
He isn’t letting his diagnosis steal his holiday spirit.
“He’s got ALS, so this was a big year, because he’s still able to do all of this himself," his wife, Melanie Celenza, said. "Hopefully, he’ll be able to do it again next year. If not, we have lots of support."
His favorite inflatables are 20 feet high, Nick Celenza said, pointing out a tall Santa and Christmas tree, while his grandson's favorite is a red monster truck driven by Santa.
“It makes everybody happy so it makes us happy so we will continue to do it as long as they’ll let us do it,” Melanie Celenza said.
The family said each inflatable is a special reminder of what this season is about.
“In this day and age and all of the crazy stuff that goes on in the world, this is a nice little relief,” Nick Celenza's brother-in-law, Clay Fitzgerald, said.
