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Naïve but not discouraged: What is the big deal with Christmas decor?
Christmas is a joyous time of year, filled with laughter, snow and smiles.
Anyone who read my editorial at the end of November knows I am a fan of Christmas, but there is one aspect I have not warmed up to - external decorating.
I'm all for decorating at the office and inside your home, but decorating your lawn and the outside of your home is where I tend to draw the line.
Why is there a need to decorate the outside of our homes during the holidays? Is it because we, as homeowners, feel we have something to prove, or rather, do we feel pressured into going above and beyond to show passersby how much we love the holidays?
This ritual of external decoration is no longer limited to Christmas; Thanksgiving and Halloween have succumb to it as lawns were dotted with blow-up turkeys and ghosts earlier this year.
I can understand decorating for a season, such as putting a new wreath on your door to celebrate the coming of fall, but I feel it is over the top when a family's entire lawn is taken over for a single holiday.
Not only are people falling to peer pressure in their neighborhoods, there is also the strenuous work involved in external decorations.
Breaking out ladders to hang lights on the eaves of the house in freezing temperatures while enlisting the entire family to participate to fulfill one person's goal — not every street needs to have a Griswold-style house.
No wonder so many people don't take down decorations until February or sometimes March — it's too much work!
If that's how you want to celebrate Christmas this year, then feel free to turn your house and lawn into an explosion of Christmas spirit and call me a Scrooge..
Regardless of how much you decorate, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
This is the case of either a letter to the editor or an editor themselves. I do read the editorials prior to publishing and we do discuss the circumstances of a "difference of opinions" when their topic is sure to draw either disagreement or compliment. As a publisher I do believe staff and their opinions have and do vary over the last 27 years. Can't say I agree with all be it staff or submitted but it is their opinion. I will continue to allow that as long as they are not disrespectful in editorials. The news side of our business requires us to report on the comments and events as they are said or happen and use extreme effort to not allow our own feelings to be expressed but to give our readers an opportunity to form their own opinion or ask more questions. One thing I have learned is the opinions of Christmas, traditions and presentation vary greatly based on personal belief and current circumstances. Myself, I love the bling and bright of the holiday but again, that is just my opinion. Sometimes it just takes a little more for me to get the enthusiasm in gear. "Maturity" and physical effort have diminished the amount of effort my husband and I have to offer each year as far as the outside decorations go but I do too like the drive around and appreciate others efforts. Have a Merry Christmas, Brenda