Friday Question #175
By kilax, December 23, 2011 5:41 am
Do you put up any exterior holiday decorations (lights, wreath, etc.)? Did your family put any up when you were growing up?
Our “exterior” holiday decorations are only actually visible from the exterior – an electronic candle in each window and a wreath. The decorations are actually inside the house.
We never had lights or anything on our house growing up. Probably because we lived back in the woods and no one would see them!
I love running through my neighborhood in the dark and seeing everyone’s holiday lights, and those funny blow-up things that people put in their lawns. Some people really go all out!
Themocracy
I get lazier each year with outdoor decorations. I used to put up garland swags and bows on each window plus garland and lights around the front door, etc. This year, just a wreath on the front door!
We cut back this year and have noticed that a lot of our neighbors have too.
Hope you have a Merry Christmas.
i adore christmas lights and my family always did them, so when david and I had a house we did too. now in florida not so much
We have always done some sort of lights outside – at my old house we would do it on the tree next to the front door. Then at my parents newer house, we had a huge lit wreath. At my house now, Brian put up lights on the bushes and on the house. He loves Christmas SO much that he almost went overboard with decorations!
We used to put up outdoor decorations every year. Lately I have been lazy/busy and by the time I realize we still haven’t gotten around to it, it is too late. I do love looking at the neighborhood when it is all pretty with lights so probably I should remember next year because if everyone forgot like I do then it wouldn’t be pretty at all.
My dad always puts lights up outside. He used to put regular lights up but about 10 years ago he bought icicle lights and never looked back. He also used to put up lights and garland around entryways and staircases inside the house.
Now that I have my own house, I haven’t done outside lights yet. I might put some up eventually but not this year. I figure when we have kids we’ll definitely be more festive. 🙂
Is your house an end unit with a side entrance?
No we never did. We had a wreath and that was it besides the tree.
I love it though. I beg and beg for my husband to do our house which is really simple but he’s such a scrooge I only got him to do it once for an anniversary gift. But I really hate how he does it. Lights aren’t strung tight so they droop and look like crap so I don’t bother to ask.
Regarding the lack of business due to lack of snow… I am reading an article about that now. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/us/many-ski-areas-lack-an-essential-ingredient.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23
I guess it makes sense if there is a large snow industry (downhill and xc skiing, snow shoeing, ice skating, etc) and the resorts are not attracting people then the area businesses would also suffer as a result.
We don’t have any lights on the outside of our house but it’s because the only exterior outlets we have are in the garage, which is detached and located behind the house. The first year we were in our house I did hang up some fake green garland and red bows on our porch. It was cute but I hated having to go out in the snow to take it down. BRR! Growing up my parents always decorated outside.
I am really lame about decorating the outside of my house – believe it or not, I still have a huge pumpkin sitting on my front porch, waiting for me to bring it in and make soup out of it!
Being Jewish, we never put decorations up inside or outside of our house. This year, Sweets and I decided to lightly decorate the inside of our condo. We have lights in the window, a small tree with ornaments and lights, stockings and a wreath on our door. I kind of can’t wait to have a house one day, because I love seeing the outside of homes lit up. I think we’ll do some of that within reason (you won’t see our house on the news).
Happy holidays!
Lights are a must. We always had lights on the exterior of the house growing up. On Christmas Eve we would pile in the car and tour the neighborhood to check out all the lights. We decorate our house, too. We found these battery operated outdoor lights so we don’t have to mess with extension cords, etc.
I love the candles in your windows!
This year I didn’t even decorate the inside of my house, but I’ve never bothered with outside either. No one can see it where I live so it doesn’t matter. My parents have lights up though, but they keep them up all year so I really don’t think it counts. 🙂
We just have a wreath and some really pretty snowflake thingies that are hanging in our windows and visible from the street.
Interestingly, when I was growing up we did not do lights because my Dad was of Jewish descent. So we all celebrated Christmas because my Mom loved it but my Dad said he was unwilling to have lights on his house!
We have lights on one side of the house (the side that’s easy to get to via ladder) and this year, we have penguin lights on the front porch area of the walkway.
We didn’t put lights up this year but we have the past 2 years. Growing up dad always put lights up and to this day my favorite lights are still the old school huge bulbs. I really like the candles in your windows and your wreath is very pretty!!
My most favorite thing in the world to do is drive around and look at Christmas lights, David and I actually used to do this in high school, now we get to continue the tradition!
I have a wreath, some pine garland and a few ribbons outside but that is all. I didnt put up a Christmas tree this year.
We put up outdoor lights sporadically. Interestingly enough, no one else on our street puts up lights so when we do we’re the odd house out!
I just realized I didn’t even put up my wreath this year. I guess I wasn’t in the holiday mood at all!