One Christmas evening, in a quiet town at a quaint country inn, a group of close friends were off to enjoy a celebration dinner! As they drew closer to town, they saw a little village brightly lit amid freshly fallen snowflakes and decorated for the holiday. The close friends reminisced of the days of old and talked about the quaint town they had encountered. In the midst of their jolly spirits and conversation, the innovation for a lighted Christmas village was created! In 1976, when the idea came to pass, Department 56 introduced a series of six hand-painted buildings. That was just the beginning......