(no subject)

[snarkyman]

It's now 4 February 2004, a full 41 days after Christmas. Tonight, I counted 13 houses with Christmas lights burning bright within the last 2 miles of home. Nine of these houses are in Winchester and the remaining 4 are in Medford.

I've seen people leave decorations up for months after Christmas, but I don't remember anybody leaving Christmas lights burning this late.

Does anyone have thoughts on why this is?

Comments

[jtdiii.livejournal.com]

They are pretty?

There has been too much snow to take them down?

Some people leave them up year round.

[snarkyman.livejournal.com]

I agree: they're pretty - and I like seeing them year round.

It seems strange that there is this cluster in Winchester - almost all of the houses were very close to one another, though not all on the same street.

[djinnthespazz.livejournal.com]

burning away the darkness and the bleak blue that is winter?

my best guess

(drifting through by way of rikibeth)

[snarkyman.livejournal.com]

I like this answer best of all.

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

It's too freaking cold to take them down?

If that's the case, look for them to come down this week..

[snarkyman.livejournal.com]

That's a good reason for leaving them up ... but on?

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

There's ice over the on/off switch? ;-)

[sarahshevett.livejournal.com]

They are "Freedom Lights?"

[snarkyman.livejournal.com]

Possibly. But I wonder if there is some religious significance of which I am not aware.

[antoniseb.livejournal.com]

I saw a lot of lights tonight too. I believe that these were not leftover from Christmas, but were specifically put up to help celebrate Mardi Gras.

[sapphorlando.livejournal.com]

Yes, I have thought about this. I think the answer is twofold:

First, the lights aren't 'in the way' or 'hurting anything,' in the same manner as a rapidly drying tree, or a wreath that sheds on anyone nearby. And in many people's minds, small lights are more of a generic decoration than distinctly 'Christmassy' than, say, shaggy green garlands, even if they were originally put up for Christmas. Many restaurants, for example, put up strings of midget lights that they leave up year round.

Second, putting up lights, especially outdoors, and especially on a house, is a big pain in the ass. Once they're up, who wants to take them back down? And if they seem okay up there, why bother? This is sort of new, thanks to long strings of reliable, comparatively tasteful midget lights. In the old days, strings of chunky (and famously balky) C6 and C9 Christmas lights could never be considered tasteful or appropriate out of season. But midget lights are less, well, Christmassy, and so it's easier for us to rationalise leaving them up. And as soon as one person does it..

In fact, I'd go so far as to suggest that the increasingly generic, all-season use of midget lights may be partly responsible for the increase in truly ghastly holiday decorations, like gigantic inflatable snowmen and lugubriously 'dancing' Santas. If midget lights are all-season, then we've got to find some other special holiday deco, right? Might as well be a monstrous, glowing Grinch, eh?