# My neighbors have their Christmas lights up. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 22, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691 "2003-11-22T16:20:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/1 "2003-11-22T16:20:43Z")
Argh. Let’s try that OP again: There they were last night, right across the street. And it’s pissing me off! What’s the hurry? I s’pose they wanted to take advantage of the nice weather the past few days, instead of waiting until it’s freezing cold. But then, just because they’re on your trees doesn’t mean you actually have to _light_ them yet. I don’t know why this bothers me so much. I _like_ Christmas, honestly; I just don’t need 3 whole months of it. I’m feeling really Grinchy this year. It started when I saw the holiday displays out at the end of September, instead of Halloween. Now there’s a local radio station that’s been playing Christmas music 24/7 for the last two weeks. Usually they don’t start that till Thanksgiving. What is the big rush this year? Is there seriously anyone out there who enjoys this overload of Christmas crap? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/2 "2003-11-22T16:36:01Z")
We have ours up year round - just one string along the porch railing. They comfort the dog (not that he’s outside this time of year, but hey it’s close enough to the holidays, so why unplug them now?) and don’t shine into the window like having the porch light on does. On the other hand, we life in a heavily wooded area so no one can see it. ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/3 "2003-11-22T16:50:35Z")
I happen to live in an area known as “Candlelight Lane.” You know those kinds of neighborhoods where everyone on the block puts up giant light displays for the holidays? My neighbors are starting their displays already, although the lights haven’t come on… yet. I have a real love/hate relationship with this situation, though. I love the decorations, but the traffic in the neighborhood becomes unbearable from sunset to around 10 PM. It can take up to 30 minutes to drive 3 blocks, due to everyone in the area coming out to check out the street. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/4 "2003-11-22T17:21:04Z")
Did you consider that perhaps your neighbors will have relatives coming for Thanksgiving who cannot also come for Christmas, so they’re combining their celebrations? When Mr. TeaElle and I couldn’t make it home to Mississippi for Christmas (because of work schedules) Mama TeaElle would have the tree and all of the decorations up for Thanksgiving, and we’d exchange gifts then, as well. It helped us all feel better about the fact that we couldn’t be together for both special days. ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/5 "2003-11-22T17:28:50Z")
Right on, **TeaElle**. That is not at all unreasonable, especially in families that live very far away. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/6 "2003-11-22T18:30:37Z")
There’s only one christmas lighted house in my neighborhood, so far. Actually I think they’ve been up all year, and they just turned them on this week. My neighborhood has a variety of different income levels, from big rambling historical homes, to a (just one) 1970’s era trailer. There will be 5 houses in a row with candlelights in the windows, and maybe a few icicle lights, then a big glaring “Elvis Lives” in red and blue. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/7 "2003-11-22T18:59:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TeaElle \* > \*\*Did you consider that perhaps your neighbors will have relatives coming for Thanksgiving who cannot also come for Christmas, so they’re combining their celebrations? > > When Mr. TeaElle and I couldn’t make it home to Mississippi for Christmas (because of work schedules) Mama TeaElle would have the tree and all of the decorations up for Thanksgiving, and we’d exchange gifts then, as well. It helped us all feel better about the fact that we couldn’t be together for both special days. \*\* I suppose it’s possible, though there haven’t been any extra cars in the driveway, and Thanksgiving isn’t till next weekend. And if they were having anyone over for this weekend, they’d sure be there right now; they’re big U of M fans and the game’s on. If it were _me_ (and I am aware that it’s not) I wouldn’t be turning the lights on for the neighbors now if I’d put them up in anticipation of guests NEXT week. Like I said, I don’t know why it’s bothering me. It’s not an overly ostentatious display; we’ll put up something similar in December. It’s just the earliness of it. The lights are green and white, and definitely Christmassy; they’ve skipped Thanksgiving motifs entirely. The stores and radio stations are bad enough; they’re doing it for business reasons ('cause Thanksgiving stuff just isn’t as profitable) and the cynic in me can understand that. When private citizens start buying into and adding to the hype…I don’t know. It rings hollow. I have an odd urge to go over, knock on the door and ask what they’re selling. Hrmmph. At least they don’t have any of those damned white wireframe lightup deer on the lawn. Anyone I see putting those out this year runs the risk of a midnight display of hot reindeer lovin’. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/8 "2003-11-22T19:15:14Z")
I am one of those weirdos who is not only done with Christmas shopping but the presents are all wrapped too. I love this stuff. Christmas and Thanksgiving are my favorite holidays so once November comes around, I’m in heaven. It does really annoy me to see stuff out and up before Halloween though. Mr. Congo told me that we can put our tree up this weekend. Yay! His family has had their lights up since right after Halloween. His sister wanted to put them up before it snows. It sucks trying to string lights in 3 feet of snow. They try to be nice to the neighbors and only turn them on when we go over so we can see the new additions. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/9 "2003-11-22T19:27:10Z")
There is one house in my neighborhood that has had them up all year. Nothin’ like icicles in July, lemme tellya. Then there are other houses that have had 'em up since October. However among my “normal” friends and family I’ve noticed that there IS some sort of a rush this year to go ahead and put the decorations up. I considered it myself because we’re leaving town on Wednesday, coming back on Friday and do I really want to spend my weekend dealing with the hassle of untangling the Christmas lights? I thought about doing it this weekend and getting it over with. Could Christmas starting early this year have to do with the war? Maybe people want to be preoccupied? ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/10 "2003-11-22T19:40:58Z")
Part of it is that there’s less time than usual between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year–4 weeks to the day. Not only do retailers want to maximize the shopping season by starting it early, a lot of people (myself included) want to get a lot of the work out of the way early so we can relax and _enjoy_ the season instead of rushing around like chickens with our heads off. It also strikes me as rather unhealthy to be this angry about how someone else chooses to decorate their home or celebrate the holidays. I mean, really, being pissed off because someone has chosen to put their lights up the weekend before Thanksgiving? Threatening to molest someone’s mechanical reindeer? That can’t be good for your blood pressure. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/11 "2003-11-22T21:01:18Z")
Eh, my blood pressure’s usually so low it could probably use some raising. Anyway, “pissed off” probably isn’t the most accurate phrase I could have used. It’s generally “tired and sad.” (I’m more pissed at myself for letting it get to me.) As a country we spend 3 and now creeping up on 4 months being reminded that “Christmas is almost here, so hurry up and buy stuff!” Birthdays, holidays and other little rituals are being subsumed by this monolith that’s been twisted far from its intended meaning. Christmas-in-July sales are hardly even a self-deprecating joke by stores anymore. And now the neighbors are jumping on the bandwagon. _sigh_ I have a great deal to be thankful for: a brand spanking new adorable nephew, and for the first time, an SO I’m seriously considering spending the rest of my life with. The whole family’s getting together this weekend for Thanksgiving, and it should be a good one. But every year it gets harder to sit back, relax, and enjoy the holiday’s sentiment without getting distracted by the next and obviously far more economically important holiday literally staring through the window. Yes, it’s a small thing and I know I’m whining. But something’s wrong when what should be a celebratory time becomes something that people feel they have to push against and resist. (Note, none of this is a knock on those who have all their shopping done, and wanted to get their lights up before their fingers froze off. That’s practicality, and far more organized than I’ve ever been.) As for the reindeer, I didn’t intend to imply that _I’d_ be the one molesting them. I might, however, rearrange them so they appear to be molesting each other. Good, unclean, juvenile fun. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/12 "2003-11-23T02:35:46Z")
huh We know folks who have theirs up all year(outside on the bush) ---
**Author:** ![leafrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@leafrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leafrog)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/13 "2003-11-23T02:42:03Z")
As I stood washing dishes just a few minutes ago, I saw my neighbors turn on their lights for the first time…but I can’t complain since I was listening to (and singing along with) a Christmas Carol Compilation. ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/14 "2003-11-23T02:53:12Z")
Hark the herald angels sing… ‘’‘sorry’’’ I would love to (direct) the installation of lights on our roof right now. I have a feeling that we’ll end up hiring a crew to put them up (I’m married to a fireman whose second job is roof replacement estimates! How many more damn credentials must one have?) Any day from now to Jan. 1 is quite acceptable, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Nvme77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Nvme77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nvme77)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/15 "2003-11-23T04:17:39Z")
Right now I am listening to South Parks Cartman singing “O Holy Night”, with electric cattle prod and all. If anyone asks why so early, I can just say its for comic relief. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/16 "2003-11-23T16:31:29Z")
Some people in our neighborhood put theirs up the week before Halloween. Several houses in fact, which I thought was sorta odd. I put our tree up last week for two reasons: we were supposed to be out of town the week after Thanksgiving and I didn’t think I’d have time to do it then, I also work for Hallmark and will be working my butt off with holiday merchendising the entire month of December. Second: We recently found out our cat is very ill, and is requiring varied strange and unfamiliar treatments. I put the tree up to make the place seem a bit cheerier. Sorry to ruffle your feathers. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![smaft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@smaft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smaft)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/17 "2003-11-23T18:43:31Z")
Seattle’s WARM 106.9 FM radio, every year, plays Christmas music 24/7 throughout the holidays. They’ve already been going for days. Ugh., ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/18 "2003-11-23T18:53:34Z")
I’ve seen people as early as the day after halloween. I think it gets old looking at them, I can’t imagine how they can look at them every single day. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/19 "2003-11-23T23:40:50Z")
My beef qith the Xmas lights…people take them down too soon! I prefer to have the lights on through January-which is the coldest, darkest time of the winter. That’s what the holiday celebrations are really about-to keep yopur spirits up through a bleak, depressing time of the year. Myself, I keepthe tree up till St. Patrick’s Day! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-have-their-christmas-lights-up/214691/20 "2003-11-24T00:11:53Z")
Count me as one who thinks holiday lights can ameliorate the effect of Seasonal Affect Disorder (depression caused by shorter period of daylight). You Grinches should give thanks that you don’t live someplace like the Philippines, where it’s Christmas season if the name of the month ends with -ber. I’ll do the math for you. That’s four months!