Christmas Lights: The Great Nonverbal Debate
Last Wednesday evening my mom and I went to the library. I had not visited the local library in probably 15 years and was not surprised to find that, aside from the 8 computers now taking prominent position on the first floor, the place remained the same as it did when I was a star pupil at Atlantic Avenue Elementary. It was even story night, an old favorite of mine, and the exuberant shrieks of laughter from the downstairs children's section were proof that it continues to be a popular weekly. My mom suggested I revisit the stacks that first nourished my love of reading but the librarian on duty - who could not have been more than 16 - advised against it. "They're going crazy down there; I wouldn't go if I were you." Another time then, perhaps when my niece is in town.
Mom hit the mystery section while I tried, in vain, to remember the name of an obscure Salman Rushdie book on Nicaragua that a friend recommended. Their fancy online catalogues were no help either, so instead I checked out a novel, Arthur & George by Julian Barnes, that promised to be a good but quick read. (It was.)
As we drove towards home my mother came up with the great idea that we drive around the neighborhoods and look at the Christmas lights, which at last brings me to the point of this post. I try not to be a judgmental person, but when it comes to Christmas lights, and the miscellaneous lawn decorations some choose to display, I think that all of us have rather strong opinions. Some truly embrace the neon manger scene, or the Santa and sleigh on the roof; others cannot have enough twinkling lights of every color blinking at 10 or more of those insufferable inflatable snowmen that have become so popular. Tacky, classy, meager, monstrous, clever, tired, religious, Disney - they all elicited some response from me, my mom, or both.
I am not a fan of net lights. I think they take all the planned spontaneity out of artificial lights on trees, fences and door frames. They are far too uniform for their own good and they automatically warrant a low evaluation from me. (I have one friend who apparently grades her neighbors, but I am not that organized. My system is basically 1) I love that!; 2) What were they thinking?; and 3) I like that wreath on the door but that other stuff has no business there.)
Nor do I favor blinking lights. I find them distracting rather than inspired. It took me some time to get used to the icicle lights, but I am OK with them now. Done right they are charming; overdone and they look like a hardware store window display gone horribly awry. I appreciate wreaths with bows on windows, but EVERY window? Seriously? How long did that take? Some of the houses in this neighborhood are huge and must have 50 windows. If each wreath has a light as well as a bow, I can't help but think about having to walk around the whole damn house turning on and off all those damn lights.
My mother favors simplicity, hands down. A nice wreath on the front door with garland and clear lights on the lamppost and you win her approval. I am a sucker for the fences draped with garland and lights, but I must confess I prefer the wine colored ribbons to Santa hat red. Neither of us can quite comprehend the inflatable lawn figures: Santa, the reindeer, snowmen of all shapes and sizes, penguins, Eagles football men, teddy bears. They make no sense to me.
In general we prefer clear lights to colored, although this year we saw some lovely clear/all blue and clear/all red combinations. A prime example of lights that do not work: blue lights on the handrail, blinking net lights on the bushes, colored lights on the trees, a hologram of the Grinch shining on the front side of the house, and a neon Nativity scene next to a neon Santa sleigh.
And yet as much as I groan and roll my eyes, I love it all. Most of us no longer know who our neighbors are, but their personalities literally shine through for a few weeks every December. It's indulgent, wastes energy, has little or nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas as taught to us by Charlie Brown, Linus, and all the Peanuts, but it's festive. No one can argue, debate, or grade that.
Happy holidaze!!!
Mom hit the mystery section while I tried, in vain, to remember the name of an obscure Salman Rushdie book on Nicaragua that a friend recommended. Their fancy online catalogues were no help either, so instead I checked out a novel, Arthur & George by Julian Barnes, that promised to be a good but quick read. (It was.)
As we drove towards home my mother came up with the great idea that we drive around the neighborhoods and look at the Christmas lights, which at last brings me to the point of this post. I try not to be a judgmental person, but when it comes to Christmas lights, and the miscellaneous lawn decorations some choose to display, I think that all of us have rather strong opinions. Some truly embrace the neon manger scene, or the Santa and sleigh on the roof; others cannot have enough twinkling lights of every color blinking at 10 or more of those insufferable inflatable snowmen that have become so popular. Tacky, classy, meager, monstrous, clever, tired, religious, Disney - they all elicited some response from me, my mom, or both.
I am not a fan of net lights. I think they take all the planned spontaneity out of artificial lights on trees, fences and door frames. They are far too uniform for their own good and they automatically warrant a low evaluation from me. (I have one friend who apparently grades her neighbors, but I am not that organized. My system is basically 1) I love that!; 2) What were they thinking?; and 3) I like that wreath on the door but that other stuff has no business there.)
Nor do I favor blinking lights. I find them distracting rather than inspired. It took me some time to get used to the icicle lights, but I am OK with them now. Done right they are charming; overdone and they look like a hardware store window display gone horribly awry. I appreciate wreaths with bows on windows, but EVERY window? Seriously? How long did that take? Some of the houses in this neighborhood are huge and must have 50 windows. If each wreath has a light as well as a bow, I can't help but think about having to walk around the whole damn house turning on and off all those damn lights.
My mother favors simplicity, hands down. A nice wreath on the front door with garland and clear lights on the lamppost and you win her approval. I am a sucker for the fences draped with garland and lights, but I must confess I prefer the wine colored ribbons to Santa hat red. Neither of us can quite comprehend the inflatable lawn figures: Santa, the reindeer, snowmen of all shapes and sizes, penguins, Eagles football men, teddy bears. They make no sense to me.
In general we prefer clear lights to colored, although this year we saw some lovely clear/all blue and clear/all red combinations. A prime example of lights that do not work: blue lights on the handrail, blinking net lights on the bushes, colored lights on the trees, a hologram of the Grinch shining on the front side of the house, and a neon Nativity scene next to a neon Santa sleigh.
And yet as much as I groan and roll my eyes, I love it all. Most of us no longer know who our neighbors are, but their personalities literally shine through for a few weeks every December. It's indulgent, wastes energy, has little or nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas as taught to us by Charlie Brown, Linus, and all the Peanuts, but it's festive. No one can argue, debate, or grade that.
Happy holidaze!!!
posted by Katie at
5:21 PM
4 Comments:
you have not lost your talent for expressing yourself in writing.
I'm right there with you KT! Seems like this year people are pushing the envelope a bit. Many homeowners on my drive home seem to be saying "Let's see how much tacky shit from WalMart I can cram onto my lawn this year".
It takes much of the class and beauty out of christmas to see people dump all kinds of inflatables and lights on the front lawn.
Love, Digs
I LOVE THAT YOU ARE BLOGGING! YOU SHOULD HAVE STARTED THIS YEARS AGO.
BRAVA!
Miss KT, My thoughts on this subject are simple. Find a theme and stick with it. Even if I don't like the theme (blinking colored lights for example) at least you can see the effort and thought that went into the work. Perhaps it is due to the warm weather that people have extra time outside to festoon their yards - indeed, things have gotten crazy. As far as those inflatable creatures...I echo my dear friend Maura and say - kind of makes you just want to run up and tackle them. -DKL
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