Christmas decorating in the North usually involves a parka, ski gloves, a scarf and sometimes even a shovel and bag of rock salt. Christmas decorating in the South involves being a little patient and waiting for just the right day because you know that sometime between Thanksgiving and mid-December, it is going to be in the 70's! Now if I only could get these Southerners to put up colored lights (and lots of them!), I would be all set!
I know that the single candles in the window are very pretty and they are an invitation to the Christ child to come into your home. We had them in our windows when I was a kid, too, but we had colored lights surrounding them (in the shapes of Christmas trees, no less, thanks to my dad!) and we had colored lights lining the roof of the house. Here, many people just have the candles and maybe a wreath or two or maybe even a string of white lights on the house. Ugh!
I know, any Southerner who reads this will probably think my idea of Christmas decorating is gaudy and theirs is sophisticated. I agree, but I LIKE gaudy for Christmas! And what kid doesn't love to go see those crazy houses with tons of lighted, moving figures everywhere??? When I was kid, we went every year to a house that was a couple of blocks away from my grandparent's house in Palos Heights (Palos Gardens subdivision to be exact) that, rumor had it, a doctor owned. They always had one of those over-the-top Christmas displays. The kind of would never have at my own house, but love to see. That is one of my favorite childhood Christmas memories. I can still see the whole display in my mind.
Because money is tight, we may be cutting down on our lights this year. I'm not saying that for sure because if I get too many protests from the younger kids, I won't do it. Instead of putting the colored icicle lights on the lower and upper porches, I'm thinking of putting them only on the lower porch and only lighting them for a few hours a night. I will still put up the big wreath on the garage, that has tons of lights on it. Or more specifically, Mike and CUP will put up the big wreath.
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1 comment:
I never knew that's what candles in the windows meant. I just think they're pretty.
Nick went from not putting up any lights for the last five years (except for the ones on the back porch that never come down!) to wanting to put on a complete light show with LEDs. (I think he got mad because I called him Scrooge. Either that, or he caved after the 974th time JJ asked if we could have lights!).
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