Silence the Bells, Queue the Lights

On what was the coldest night of winter I hope, Cute and I decided to discover the lit wonders of Christmas. This was not the first time we deliberately set out to gaze at the splendors that people create on the outside of their homes for the holiday season but it was the first time we took snacks and warming fluid.

We stayed relatively close to home and we didn’t have a list of best neighborhoods to review, but somehow we managed to see impressive and homey displays.

We’ve been thinking about what causes people to decorate their homes. Certainly there are more lights than I remember so long long ago when I was a child. Looking back, my house led the neighborhood because my dad, an electrician, created a lighted Santa and sleigh with one reindeer, Rudolph, pulling it.  It was made of plywood and my mom painted it.  Somehow my short Dad, with the help of a tall ladder and probably a prayer or two, managed to get it to the top of our Cape Cod roof every year.   The whole sleigh moved and Rudolph’s red nose blinked. We thought it was spectacular.

Eventually, of course, it broke or my dad gave up, probably a wise choice. Then we did what the other folks in our neighborhood did. Aided by my brothers and sister, we went outside and helped my mom and dad wrestle with those now seldom seen strands of large multi- colored light bulbs and place them on the front bushes. Elegant, it was not. Colorful, it was. And remember the days that if one light went out, the whole string did? That was fun research, usually in the cold.

But I’ve always liked coming home to a house decorated in lights. I think lighting your home is a gift to yourself and to your neighbors. It’s a sign that there’s something different going on this time of year.  It is also a way to bring a little warmth into the dreary winter months. And who is not cheered by various brightly colored lights? It must be the reason that thousands visit the Plaza every year.

Lighting your home is also apparently contagious. If one house on the street does it, then often others feel compelled to follow. And that’s OK because it creates an entire atmosphere that wasn’t there before. Now rows of homes do a theme.  Near our condo is a street of hearts, holiday lit lampposts, and bright red candy canes lining the sidewalks.  It all seems very neighborly.

Many lights are now installed professionally, but I am still fond of the sometimes slightly scraggly effect of home-owner-hung lights or a simple wreath in every window. There is also a plethora of white lights, which add glitter to the night sky. However if I were doing my home in all white lights, I would add an occasional red or green just to break up the modular corporate look they cast.  Sidenote: It's tough to take a pic in a moving car. I'd rather think of this as the Monet effect.

One trend that has disappeared is twinkling lights that flash on and off and drove me crazy. These are now programed by computers, sometimes in tune with music and they’re often impressive, if not necessarily inspiring.

Cute likes blue lights, which are definitely in the minority, and I’m glad for that, but he says in the snow they are the most beautiful.  But he has an artist’s eye; I do not.

Inflateable holiday characters have proliferated, sometimes to excess. They make me wonder where are they stored, even if they are deflated, but I do laugh.

There are all kinds of official displays that you can drive or walk through; Sar-Ko Aglow in Lenexa, the Overland Park Arboretum and many others which I’ll let you just google. Many are open through January, which should help that gray month.

We do hope you really notice and appreciate the Christmas (and Hanukkah) lights all around. The season passes too quickly. I personally feel like we should have a week a month specified as the Light Week. Maybe end it by March 15?

At least the December glow is a wonderful time, whether you are a participant or just a viewer and enjoyer.  Pictures here don't do these lights justice. But thanks to those of you who are making our Christmas brighter!!

No lights, but I just wish more of us decorated our cars, too!