The Germans do it right. Whole towns, cities and villages are decorated for Christmas. Genteely. Softly. Beautifully. Electric "arches" in the windows cause a soft glow to fall on the snow and streets. The photo doesn't do it justice...
While the House of V is decorated (internally and externally) for Christmas, I would like to think we are remotely tasteful, if not boring. Yes, the 'net' lights I bought after Christmas are all white. And so are the ones in the garland around the door. They are still pretty. They don't blink. And they don't "race" or strobe, either. There's no blow-up figures or an electric Jesus on our lawn. (You can have one if you want, just don't make me. Please.)
After reading "Skipping Christmas" by John Grisham, we've been seeing the uber-decorated homes with new eyes. A yard with an electric snowman or Santa-stuck-in-a-globe causes someone in the car to yell "FREE FROSTY!" It seems to be easier than ever to be tacky. There are several overly decorated houses in our area. I saw one when I was out on errands last weekend. The house. The yard. The trees. Even a junker car was COVERED in lights!!! There were Blow-up figures. Icicle lights. Mini-lights. Big blinking lights. Unlike this house, no music was playing. But it had traffic backed up for a mile...
I'm not the only one seeing the tacky stuff everywhere. Just because I felt I bombed at the Friday Five this week, I offer instead the "Five Best Sites for Tacky Lights" for your surfing pleasure: (trust me, there are more...)
- Anti Yawn's Guide on how to be truly tacky with holiday decorating (in case people need help? Yikes.)
- Holly's Guide to Tacky Christmas Lights - a local wonderland outside Your Nation's Capitol! Complete with a map. I'm thinking this is not an honor...
- This site proves that the USA doesn't hold the corner or tacky lights...
- A great Tacky Light Tour! - and one of the first websites to catalogue the illuminated excesses...
- Finally, in what is probably the greatest disservice to the Christ Child, is this display which features a prominent reminder of the supposed "Reason" why people do this in the first place... Lord Have Mercy...
From our home to yours...
Deb
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2 comments:
much more realistic :p
Ahhh - someone else who knows and appreciates Germany at Christmastime! I had the opportunity to be in Wittenberg in January 2003 - what a neat experience, and certainly, as you noted, more tasteful. Thanks for both fives!
Froeliche Weinachten!
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