New Year’s Eve traditions can get pretty interesting.  In America, a champagne toast and a kiss tend to mark the new year, but around the world, people break plates, eat grapes, and burn scarecrows among other rituals that represent a fresh start.  For one local family, a 20-year New Year’s Eve tradition began as they merged two families and ended this year as they celebrated the blessings of their blended family.

 

In 1997, Carla and Steve Engle were spending their first Christmas together as a married couple, complete with four sons between them, ranging in ages from five to thirteen.  They were searching for ways to create new traditions for the family and happened upon an interview with Christian singer Amy Grant.

 

“In the interview, she was saying that since she lived on a farm, the family would undecorated the Christmas tree, load it with fireworks and blow it up at midnight on New Year’s Eve,” said Carla Engle.  “We looked at each other and said, ‘Perfect!’ and so the tradition began that year.”

 

Over the years, the crowd grew to include family, friends and even the Bridgeport United Methodist Church Youth Group. 

“Attendance has ranged from six to around 50 people and we have blown up the tree in snow, rain, and sleet, but this year was an all-time low in terms of temperatures,” said Engle.  “One year, it was so beautiful out that we stayed outside until 2:00a.m.”

 

 

As one can imagine, the event brings with it some funny stories over the years.  One year, instead of wiring the fireworks to the tree, they used duct tape.  The tape melted, the tree fell over and the fireworks shot straight at the crowd.  Another year, they had to borrow a tree from a friend.  With everyone gathered in anticipation, the fireworks would not launch the tree no matter what they tried.  It turned out to be a fire-retardant tree, causing more than a few laughs as they recalled the story.

 

To say the Engles live in a unique house would be an understatement.  The home was originally built in 1846 on Little Skin Creek.  When Stonewall Jackson Dam was being built, Steve purchased the original logs from the home and rebuilt it on their property in the 1980s.  Their guest cottage was added in 2008, but matches the same historical look as the original house.  The annual Blowing Up of the Tree only adds to the adventurous spirit of the family and has local friends and family eager to visit the unusual house as well as witnessing the tree fireworks.

 

The tree might be the star of the New Year’s Eve tradition, but it’s not the only activity at the Engle home that night.  There’s always a huge spread of food, sometimes karaoke, and, weather permitting, light-up croquet and horseshoes. They also have quite a few who like to climb into the tree houses to get a better view of the event.

 

This year, they launched one tree at 9:00p.m. for the early birds and one at midnight. They gave guests 3-D glasses that made snowflakes, reindeer, candy canes and gingerbread men look like they were bursting out of the fireworks.

 

“This year was our final year of this tradition,” said Engle, explaining that the kids are now grown and in four different states. “We have had 20 years of fun, food, fellowship, friends and family who have shared in our tradition and we wanted to go out with a ‘bang.’  We now look forward to the next chapter of our lives, filled with new traditions and ways we can celebrate with those we love.”