As seen in my neighborhood this year

When I was a kid on the Saturday before Christmas the family would load up in the car and drive around to view Christmas lights. It was always something we looked forward to. It was a special time.

Later, in my twenties, there was a neighborhood in town that was a surbuban block of family homes with only two entrances. Nearly every single house was decorated at Christmas. They even would hang a sign over the main entrance proclaiming the neighborhood to be “Starlight Circle.”

Cars from miles around would slowly cruise the neighborhood. Those willing to park could stroll along the sidewalks. Christmas music filled the air. Along the way residents would pass out things like candy canes and hot cocoa or hot apple cider to help take away a bit of the chill. I haven’t been there for years.

The last two years, though, I’ve been noticing a new phenomenon. Halloween lights. Last year the house down the street was brightly lit with orange lights. I surmised it took someone a very long time to take Christmas lights and swap in all of those little orange bulbs.

This year that house was decorated even more, and so was about half the neighborhood! Almost half, I think. Wow. Do we love our holidays or what?

Seriously. Halloween lights?

Then, driving through town last night, I noticed a house with the orange lights still up and I slowed to take a look. Yep, right there in the front yard. There it is! There sits the giant inflatable turkey. Turkey I say! (No doubt made in China.)

I’m going to need a scorecard soon to keep track of all the holidays that need lights. Christmas is so much fun why not spread it around the rest of the year? Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Fourth of July have obvious color schemes.

I predict someone will invent year-round lights that you simply leave out all the time, then a little control panel that can be used to illuminate them to the holiday color scheme of your choice. The ultimate in convenience.

Congratulations, humans. You found a way to make Christmas just a little bit less special than it already was.

The musical selection for this post: