SANDWICH — Talk about recycling. Behold 1,000 multi-colored flowers shaped from melted plastic bottles lighting up the historic Old East Mill. The display is part of the annual “Gardens Aglow” event, which features not only beautiful light displays but also holiday décor and other seasonal activities at the Heritage Museum and Gardens through Saturday.
Judging from the sold-out timed entries and the mood of the crowd, thousands of visitors can’t get enough holiday lights.
“I hope it’s a white Christmas, but these lights make me happy,” Lux Tripp, 10, said on a recent day. “They’re cool, especially the way they change color as you walk around.”
That’s not just anecdotal information. The Swiss National Science Foundation did a study that says exposure to colors can reduce stress and anxiety.
Icarus Chiarito of Sandwich walked through a tunnel of lights as a soft rain fell.
“It’s my first time, and they usually sell out,” she said “But I got tickets by volunteering for the Art Honor Society in high school.”
She’s fine if there’s no white Christmas this year.
“I kind of like it that there’s no snow because it’s not really cold,” Chiarito said. “I really like this kind of stuff.’’
— STAN GROSSFELD
Stan Grossfeld can be reached at stanley.grossfeld@globe.com.