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'Miracle On 34th Street,' A Baltimore Tradition

If you're like Adam May and you put up some Christmas decorations this weekend, you probably had to untangle lights, change some bulbs, and climb a ladder.

Now imagine how tough it was for some folks in Hampden who flipped the switch Saturday to light up 34th Street for the holidays.

"We come every year," said the Brittany cousins.

And so does Santa. Riding in the back of a pickup truck, getting kids in the holiday spirit. 

Santa: "Would you like a ginger bread cookie?"

Kid: "No."

Santa: "No? Ha Ha."

"We were here in 2007 was the last time we were here," said one 34th Street visitor. "And it's definitely gotten more packed every year."
 
And more lit-up, as homeowners in this Baltimore neighborhood add more decorations.

" I've been doing it ever since I came to this country 10 years ago," said Joe Aquilina. "It seems crazy when I first saw it, but it's just a big part of my life now. I love it."  

Visiting 34th Street during the holidays has become a tradition for Aquilina's children. 

"I like the lights a lot," said his daughter Ivy Aquilina.

So what could possibly be missing from this celebration, that spans the street and now generations?

"It would be better if it was snowing, but this is nice,"said one spectator.

The Miracle on 34th Street has been creating Christmas memories year after year in Baltimore since 1947.

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