There are more stories of bravery, heroism and hardship associated with lighthouses than any other structures. The keepers and their families often endured hardships as part of everyday life while diligently working to save the lives of many an unknown person and the holidays were generally no different than any other day. Even to this day most of the stories of these courageous people remain untold and many of the structures themselves are in danger of being lost forever.

In those days of yesteryear, depending on the location of the lighthouse, Christmas could have been a joyous time or it could have been another day of trying to survive.

Some lighthouses located on land near population would surely have celebrated the holidays just like any normal home. Some lighthouses in extreme locations could have found the keepers battling a storm, short on supplies or fighting for survival while keeping the beacon lit to save the lives of unknown mariners or passengers on the large sailing vessels or steamboats.

When Bill Wincapaw started the tradition of the Flying Santa of Lighthouses in 1929, it literally changed the holiday season forever for many lighthouse families who otherwise might not have received any gifts at all during the holidays. The gifts literally dropped from the sky were like gifts from God and reminded the keepers and their families of the good in others.

Although the more popular lighthouses in highly populated areas have been saved, for the most part, larger numbers of our lighthouses need major help with maintenance and restoration. Most of the stories of the people who lived at these lighthouses as well as photographs of them have yet to be rediscovered and told and preserved for today's generations.

Today, in modern times you too can give in a couple of ways for holidays to help to save lighthouse history as well as the structures. One obvious way is to give gift subscriptions of Lighthouse Digest. After all, it takes money to research and then publish the stories of yesteryear's keepers. We can only be successful with more subscribers.

Another way is to make a Christmas donation to the nonprofit lighthouse preservation group of your choice. As president of one of those groups, naturally, I hope you'll consider a much needed holiday donation to the Lighthouse History Research Institute, PO Box 250, East Machias, ME 04630.

Best wishes to all of you during this holiday season.

This story appeared in the December 2006 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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