Snow Island: The Christmas home decoration contest

Twins Orion and Capella, along with their parents, were busy putting the final touches on their home’s outdoor Christmas decorations. The family had worked very hard and was hoping to win first place in a contest organized as part of Snow Island’s 250th-anniversary celebration.

Handmade garlands, animal figurines, ice sculptures, and more adorned the house and yard. But the most unique element of their decor was the recreation of a starry night sky on the roof using white lights. They’d even arranged them to match the constellations.

Within the hour, the top reporter from the Snow Island Gazette, Gregory Slifer, would visit each of the participating homes to record a video for the contest’s website. The citizens of Snow Island would be able to watch the videos and vote for the decorated home they liked best. The grand prize was a trip to Santa’s Kingdom at the North Pole.

“Is it dark enough yet to turn on the lights?” Orion asked his parents.

“Yes! I can’t wait to see the house all lit up, and the trees and the fence,” Capella said, hopping up and down with excitement.

Audrey and Patrick smiled at each other and, with a knowing look, flipped the switch to turn on the thousands of glittering bulbs. The site was beautiful and spectacularly magical.

“Given everyone else’s decorations,” Capella whispered, glancing up and down the street, “I think we have an excellent chance of winning the contest.”

“Maybe,” her brother replied. “But we don’t know what the houses look like elsewhere in the city.”
“You’re right, but I can still dream,” the girl replied.

All of a sudden, there was a mighty BOOM! All the lights went out in a flash, leaving the street in near-total darkness. The adults quickly pulled out their smartphones to shed light on the situation.

“What was that noise?” Capella asked, eyes wide.

“I think a transformer blew because too many people turned on their Christmas lights at the same time,” Orion replied. “It’s probably the one on the corner. Let’s go check it out!”

As soon as they arrived, the family noticed that the transformer — or rather, what was left of it — was in a million pieces on the ground.

Thinking fast, Orion exclaimed: “Mom, call Snow Island Utilities and ask them to bring a transformer with three times the power as soon as possible!”

Without arguing, Audrey contacted the energy company and explained the situation. The operator, Paulo, was very understanding and quick to respond. Within 15 minutes, a team of experienced technicians arrived on the scene with the requested equipment. The women quickly installed the high-performance transformer, and soon the whole street was lit up with beautiful, twinkling lights once more — and just in time for the reporter’s arrival!

That night, hundreds of citizens across Snow Island admired the decorated properties, both in-person and online. In the end, the vote for best design was unanimous: it was Orion and Capella’s star-covered home!

THE END

By Johannie Dufour and Sarah Beauregard
Translated by Katya Teague