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Jason Orsini was 11 years old when a punishment changed his life.
Sent to his room for misbehaving, Orsini spent the better part of a day and night watching “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” on repeat. With no cable service and only a small TV with a built-in VCR to keep him company, he found himself captivated by Clark Griswold’s chaotic holiday quest for perfection.
“That night, I fell in love with the Griswold family and Christmas,” recalled Orsini, a Douglas Elliman real estate agent. “It was a way to escape from reality. We didn’t have a normal childhood or a normal Christmas, but that movie showed me the joy and magic the holidays could bring.”
Now 45 with a family of his own, Orsini has turned that childhood fascination into a passion project that’s lighting up his Smithtown neighborhood — and the hearts of most everyone who stops by.
Bringing the Griswold world to life
Orsini’s home at 41 Sheryl Crescent is a love letter to the holiday classic. With more than 25,000 twinkling lights illuminating his house and yard, he has recreated iconic scenes from “Christmas Vacation,” complete with life-sized props and meticulous attention to detail.
The centerpiece is a full-size replica of Cousin Eddie’s rundown and rusted RV, painted to match the movie version.
“I found a regular RV in Brooklyn and had it customized,” said Clark Griswold, errr, Orsini, sipping cocoa from a Tasmanian devil coffee mug and proudly taking in his masterpiece. “It’s an exact match.”
Across the yard sits a spot-on version of Griswold’s iconic station wagon with an oversized Christmas tree strapped to its roof. Orsini tracked down the car in Connecticut and had it towed to his home; he dug up and pulled out the tree from his backyard.
Other highlights include a life-sized Clark Griswold figure tangled in a string of Christmas lights and hanging from the roof’s edge, and animated to continuously scream “Help! Help!”
“One driver passing by thought it was real and almost called the fire department,” Orsini offered, with a laugh.
There’s also Aunt Bethany’s famous lime Jell-O mold, Cousin Eddie’s Walmart shopping cart stacked with giant bags of dog food, and 20 mannequins dressed as characters from the movie. A 400-foot walking path winds through the attraction, allowing visitors to fully immerse themselves in Orsini’s favorite fictional world.
“It’s not just a display; it’s an experience,” said Orsini, who keeps the lights shining from 5 to 10 p.m. each night during the holiday season. “I wanted people to feel like they stepped into the Griswold family’s world.”
A community celebration
Last weekend, the Orsinis hosted a block party to unveil the elaborate display, drawing more than 400 neighbors — and collecting over 100 toy donations for Stony Brook Children’s Hospital — despite the chilly weather.
“We had a petting zoo, a bounce house, a DJ, performances by the Smithtown High School West choir and the Chorus Line Dance Studio in St. James, hot chocolate — everything was free,” Orsini said.
Advertising on moms’ Facebook groups and through professionally designed signs that he posted across town, Orsini asked attendees to bring a new, unopened toy to donate to the hospital. In fact, Orsini had negotiated the price of the station wagon down to $900 earlier this fall, but the seller told him he could have it for free when he learned of its purpose.
Orsini and his wife Audrey and their kids, Alessandra, 5, and Luca, 2, personally delivered the gifts to the hospital this week.
It was actually Alessandra who inspired her dad to host last Saturday’s charity event light show at their home. “She said, ‘Daddy, I want my friends to see this!’ That made all the hard work worth it,” said Orsini, who is set to host a similar event this Saturday at 5 p.m.
This time though, he’s including a screening of “Christmas Vacation” on a giant screen in his driveway. And he’s super pumped about it.
“My daughter and I will be sitting and watching the movie in the driveway, while sipping hot cocoa and roasting marshmallows. And anyone who wants to can join us,” he said.
Lighting up Smithtown
For Orsini, the project is deeply personal.
“I’ve been obsessed with the Griswolds since I was a kid,” he said. “Decorating like this has been a dream of mine for years. It’s not just about the decorations; it’s about creating memories for my family, for the neighborhood, and for everyone who comes by.”
In a year when many are looking for a little extra holiday cheer, Orsini hopes his tribute to “Christmas Vacation” brings a smile to everyone who visits.
“The Griswolds taught me that even when things go wrong, there’s magic in the holidays,” he said. “That’s what I want to share.
“It’s my favorite Christmas movie of all time,” he continued. “I want to bring that joy and that sense of Christmas feeling that I have to the rest of the community.”
It comes to life daily at 5 p.m.
Top photo: Smithtown’s Jason Orsini, not to be confused with “Christmas Vacation’s” Clark Griswold, stands proudly at his movie-themed holiday display (Brian Harmon photo).
