Christmas decoration bells. A bow is usually used at the top or bottom, and an electric or unlit candle may be placed in the middle. Christmas lights are often used, and they may be hung from door or windows, and sometimes walls, lampposts and light fixtures, or even statuary. Since the 19th century, the poinsettia, a native plant from Mexico, has been associated with Christmas. In North and South America, Australia, and Europe, it is traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures. Municipalities often sponsor decorations as well. Christmas banners
Blooming Grove, New York The Town of Blooming Grove was formed from the Town of Cornwall in 1799. In 1830, the Town of Hamptonburgh was established from part of Blooming Grove. Another part of Blooming Grove was taken to form the Town of Chester in 1845. Andrew Jackson Davis, the "Poughkeepsie Seer", was born in Blooming Grove in 1826. The Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville is the oldest continuously operating winery in the United States, having been established in 1839. As of July 2006, legislation has been passed in order to incorporate a southern portion of the town into a separate community known as South