A Culmone Christmas family tradition

It all started in the early 1950s when Frank Culmone’s father bought a wooden Rudolph at a local bar. The handcrafted red-nosed reindeer caught his eye, so he purchased it and gave it to his wife.

Every Christmas, the Rudolph hanged above their garage in Elmont and the rest of the house was decorated for holiday contests.

Later on, Frank’s father traced copies of the design on top of about five sheets of plywood to gift to his family members. Frank now displays the original Rudolph on his house during Christmas, while his son, Christopher, created his own copy from his grandfather’s original tracings. He currently lives in grandparents’ old house in Elmont — Frank’s childhood home.

“It means so much to me because when I go to now what was my mother’s house and it’s his house now, I see it all decorated,” said Frank, who is the president of the Franklin Square Civic Association.” Although my mother and father aren’t there, they would have loved it.”

Frank and Christopher both incorporate a combined old-fashioned and modern Christmas look. Christopher features his grandmother’s original nativity scene outside his home, which includes authentic Italian figures and a stable built by a priest, he said. He enjoys seeing what decorations his neighbors put up as well.

At Frank’s house in Franklin Square, he has an old Santa Claus figure positioned in the front window that was made in the 1950s by his wife’s uncle. Wooden candy canes are also featured, as well as a wooden manager he and Christopher built.

A recreation of Christmas in Rockefeller Center is inside Frank’s garage and above hangs a lantern that the town exhibited during the holidays in Franklin Square around 25 years ago.

One year, he and his wife handed out candy canes dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus. Frank said they enjoy sharing their love for Christmas with the Franklin Square community.

“We’ve had strangers that we don’t know send us a Christmas card and it’s their kids in front of our garage,” Frank said. “It’s really touching – we can hear the kids get excited when they’re coming down the street because we’re on the corner.”

Not only does this continuation of the Rudolph family tradition strengthen Frank and Christopher’s connection as father and, but also their connection with the community.

Those in the neighborhood know that when Rudolph makes his appearance the Culmone residencies, it’s the “start of the holidays,” Christopher said.

Christopher shares his parents’ holiday spirit and it shines beyond his Christmas décor. He previously owned an ice cream and coffee shop in Franklin Square that he would deck out annually for the holidays. To him, Christmas is a special time of the year for everyone and he wants to contribute to the joy in any way he can.

“Growing up, I always looked for that spirit of Christmas – to see the Christmas lights on peoples’ houses and businesses,” Christopher said. “As I got older, I realized that now it’s my turn to do that. As a business owner, now I have to make these memories for children in the community and other families to remember.”