December 5 – Outdoor Decorations
Did people in your neighborhood decorate with lights? Did some people
really go “all out” when decorating? Any stories involving your
ancestors and decorations?
Growing up, I don't remember us doing a lot of outdoor decorating. Maybe a string of lights across the front of the house. Not much else. A few people in our neighborhood did a little more, but we didn't have any Griswold families (see National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation movie starring Chevy Chase) in our neighborhood. There was another street across town noted for their displays, and we would drive by to see what they had done each year.
I don't do outdoor decorations as a rule at my house. It's extra expense, extra work in cold weather (who thinks about putting these up when it's still warm out?) and adds to the light pollution making it more difficult to see our night sky phenomena.
My in-laws, however, have a fairly extensive set of outdoor Christmas decorations, and it is family tradition for all of the kids and their spouses (and now their kids as well!) to gather some time after Thanksgiving to put out the decorations and make sure everything is working. Then, sometime after New Year's Day, we all gather again to take them down and put them away for next year. This adds two more events for family to be together every year. Often there is hot cocoa or coffee and maybe caramel rolls for those who come and help.
This and all other articles on this blog are © copyright 2012 by Daniel G. Dillman
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