Dec 20, 2023 3 min read

Did you go all out on your Christmas decorations this year? I’m laughing thinking of Chevy Chase plugging in his thousands of lights in the “Christmas Vacation” movie.

I wrapped our lights around the porch banister as usual and hung some wreaths and greenery for my typical holiday outdoor effort. It’s simple but pretty!

Decorating got even easier two years ago when I bought an artificial tree with the prestrung lights already attached (got it on sale after Christmas). I always imagine that some year we might embark on a much more elaborate Christmas light display, but that has never actually come to fruition. It’s always enjoyable to look at the pretty decorations and twinkling lights that many of our neighbors put on display. I used to love it as a kid when we would go for a ride during holiday time and take in the Christmas lights around different neighborhoods. It’s still a fun thing to do!

Friends of ours in the South just finished a grandiose Christmas light tour driving to different cities like Charleston, S.C., Orlando and Panama City, Fla. I also think it’s interesting and fun to see how different parts of the country and people in different countries decorate for Christmas. We just got back from a visit to South Florida, and everyone had their patios, lanais and balconies sparkling with different shades of holiday lights. Last year, we were there during one of the many holiday boat parades, which are always beautiful. Dozens of boat owners strung lights, garland and other décor on their watercraft and paraded up the Intercoastal Waterway playing cheerful holiday tunes and carols.

More and more of the lights this year seem to be LED and many have more of a white or even blueish-white glow, which look very modern. I’ve seen some fun strips of LED lights that resemble icicles slowly dripping from the roof. I always like white lights maybe a little more than different colors, but they’re all pretty.

The one hiccup with my Christmas light display this year appears to be the automatic timer plug that turns the lights on at sunset and keeps them burning for a set number of hours. It worked like a charm the last few years, but it seems to have gone haywire. I woke up at 2 a.m. one night last week and the porch Christmas lights were still shining brightly. I fiddled with it a bit today and plugged it back in, so we’ll see if it’s fixed. If not, I’ll happily switch them on and off manually.

I hope you get some time to enjoy the beautiful lights and decorations and spend some time with family, friends and loved ones.

Here’s hoping for a joyful holiday season, peace, happiness, good health and a blessed new year to each of you!

Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.