WS Chronicle

Just before the holidays in 2001, Claudette Cannady came across a miniature holiday village at a yard sale. Although she didn’t know it at the time, those figurines started a holiday tradition for Cannady and her family. “I went to a yard sale and they had about four or five and they caught my eye,” Cannady said. 

“So I got those and I came home and fixed them up. Well my daughter – if she finds out I like something, that’s what she gets – so she went out and got me about 10 houses for Christmas that year and ever since then I’ve just been collecting.” 

Today, Cannady has over 100 figurines and she had to have a storage space built just to hold her collection. About half of Cannady’s inventory, including houses, churches, stores, museums, and a miniature replica of Bank of America Stadium, made the cut this year. She said it takes about a week to set up the displays throughout the house. “I think what I enjoy most is setting them up,” said Cannady during a recent interview with The Chronicle. 

Over the years, Cannady’s family has joined in the fun as well. Cannady helps her daughter decorate her home and she has traveled as far as Rocky Mount to decorate for the holidays. Once when Cannady was unable to set up the displays, her family stepped in. 

“One year when I had knee surgery and I noticed for about two or three days they wouldn’t let me come up front and when I came in, they had put the display up,” Cannady said. “It really surprised me; it almost made me cry.”

As you could expect, Cannady’s house is where her family meets for holiday gatherings and although it can be tiring playing host, Cannady said she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“Now that I think about it, my family, including my grandchildren, have never had Christmas and Thanksgiving anywhere else. We’ve always been right here for 42 years. 

“They all come here and we spend the entire day together and I just love it,’ Cannady said.