DEAR MISS MANNERS: I would appreciate your point of view on when Christmas decorations should begin appearing in residential front yards.
I grew up with an unwritten rule that you do not put anything out until the Friday after Thanksgiving. With holiday creep continually pushing retailers to put Halloween out in August, I am appalled that my neighbors begin their Christmas decorating the first weekend of November.
I want to give them a friendly note to WAIT until a more appropriate time. At this point, I'm subjected to three months, versus two, of their display, and it encroaches on my Thanksgiving. Grrrr!
GENTLE READER: If you growl at your neighbor, who would be likely to growl back, you will have succeeded only in turning the area into a zoo, if not a jungle.
Miss Manners recognizes the problem of creeping holidays, but she also recognizes property rights. And property courtesy, even toward those whose tastes you find troublesome.
If you can find an inoffensive way to say, "Christmas already! My, how time flies," Miss Manners would consider it. But frankly, she does not trust you not to growl
Dear Neighbor. Sorry my life isn't laid with perfect and concise schedules as is yours. But, in the fall, we are busy with a LOT of things that don't happen in the summer with kids back in school and so forth. And, if I am to manage to get any decorations up this year it is going to be on some free weekend when it pops into my head that it would be a good idea to get it done and I have the time to do it. I would suggest getting some light blocking shades for your home so you don't have to look at my festive home!
Large displays begin being set up anytime now. Doesn't mean anything gets turned on until later though.
I'm kind of itching to get things going myself.
I usually wait till Thanksgiving evening when everyone is too full of turkey and dressing to argue.
But I may go ahead and start early this year.
Why not?
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I really wish I had no life and had the ability to complain about crap like this. This is dumb IMO. Flame away. Who really cares? I only complain about it when they're still up in July.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
I really wish I had no life and had the ability to complain about crap like this. This is dumb IMO. Flame away. Who really cares? I only complain about it when they're still up in July.
Maybe they aren't "still up" maybe they were put up early to take advantage of the good weather.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
I really wish I had no life and had the ability to complain about crap like this. This is dumb IMO. Flame away. Who really cares? I only complain about it when they're still up in July.
That's summer night party lights!
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Some of the neighbors set up inflatable Santas and critters on their front lawns.
When they're deflated, especially when there's snow on the ground,
from a distance it looks like a person in a red jacket has passed out and is lying in the snow.
Fooled me once, but before I called 9-1-1 I walked over and took a better look.
One of the houses on the highway has a whole bunch of those things. Along with the plastic forms.
After a storm one night it looked like a frat house yard after a rave. "People" passed out everywhere.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
My next door neighbors do have white Christmas lights around their garage only. They turn them on when they have parties. You hardly realize they have people over. They're not gaudy though.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
I see some purple and orange lights in a couple places. My kids thought they were Christmas decorations but I told them they were Halloween decorations. And if so, who cares. I know of some mountain communities in California where they leave (and turn on) their Christmas lights on their homes all year around.
Most folks in our neighborhood put up their outside Christmas lights the weekend after Thanksgiving. I can't say that I've noticed anyone putting them up sooner than that.
We are supposed to have them down by February 1st. (Or risk getting the nasty-gram from the HOA.)
I usually take them down by the second week in January.
We had tons of Halloween lights up in our neighborhood this year FNW.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
Most folks in our neighborhood put up their outside Christmas lights the weekend after Thanksgiving. I can't say that I've noticed anyone putting them up sooner than that.
We are supposed to have them down by February 1st. (Or risk getting the nasty-gram from the HOA.)
I usually take them down by the second week in January.
My neighbors will put there outdoor lights up within a couple of weeks taking advantage of warmer weather but they won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving.
__________________
Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
Most folks in our neighborhood put up their outside Christmas lights the weekend after Thanksgiving. I can't say that I've noticed anyone putting them up sooner than that.
We are supposed to have them down by February 1st. (Or risk getting the nasty-gram from the HOA.)
I usually take them down by the second week in January.
My neighbors will put there outdoor lights up within a couple of weeks taking advantage of warmer weather but they won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving.
I can certainly understand that, IKWTDS.
It seems like a good way to go, if you live in a cold climate.
We have to decorate early, snow is always a threat later on. Most decorations don't come down until it thaws because everything, including the electrical cords, are frozen to the ground.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
I have a big railing on our porch and I covered it in an autumn leafy garland and white fairy lights. I put it up around Oct 1 and I won't take it down until after Thanksgiving. Suck it. 😉
I will change the leaves out with evergreen garland and put up some big red bows and leave the fairy lights.
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Out of all the lies I have told, "just kidding" is my favorite !
I have a big railing on our porch and I covered it in an autumn leafy garland and white fairy lights. I put it up around Oct 1 and I won't take it down until after Thanksgiving. Suck it. 😉
I will change the leaves out with evergreen garland and put up some big red bows and leave the fairy lights.
That is pretty. I used to have a farmers porch. It was so easy to decorate and beautiful. Sigh, I miss it.
__________________
Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
Early November Christmas decor isn't as bad as Christmas music on the radio non stop starting Nov.1st!
hahahahaha, someone on my page just asked if there was a radio station playing Christmas music yet.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Early November Christmas decor isn't as bad as Christmas music on the radio non stop starting Nov.1st!
I keep Christmas CD's in my car's player all year around. When I get stuck in traffic, I play it. It makes me happy and relaxed. Just last week I was singing along to Trisha Yearwood's CD.
Some of the neighbors set up inflatable Santas and critters on their front lawns.
When they're deflated, especially when there's snow on the ground,
from a distance it looks like a person in a red jacket has passed out and is lying in the snow.
Fooled me once, but before I called 9-1-1 I walked over and took a better look.
I moved into my house Dec 1st. It was the first time I had seen these inflatables. They are very popular in the neighborhood. The first morning I left for work I thought kids had vandalized all the neighbors decorations. Then I came home & they were all popped up again. My friend had to explain it to me.
The house across the street from my mom has 25 inflatables. It's a freaking zoo. I tried to take a pic last year but I couldn't get them all in the frame.
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Out of all the lies I have told, "just kidding" is my favorite !
I'm not doing so good on winning that internal debate.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.