A bright spot
QUESTION:I'm 70, and getting the holiday lights up is a chore, but it provides some early spring cleaning ... and such an emotional lift! This time of year, in the beautiful Northwest, where I live, it is pitch dark by 4:45, and stays that way 'till 7:30 a.m. the next day. My lights give me solace. I'd leave them up until March, but don’t want to offend neighbors, who may think I’m some crazy ol' bat. How long can I, should I, leave them up?
CALLIE’S ANSWER: That’s not crazy! I love Christmas lights; they are so cheerful. Keep them up as long as you want. Bah humbug to the neighbors that care!
LILLIE-BETH’S ANSWER: If you leave them up for a while, you’ll likely hear from the neighbors who oppose it. If you don’t hear any complaints and your lights aren’t attracting a bunch of traffic or glare beyond the holiday season, then I don’t think it’s a problem to have them up for a while longer. Your neighbors might think you’re a little eccentric — or a procrastinator — but if you aren’t worried about what they think, then enjoy the cheer the lights bring to you.
HELEN’S ANSWER: Love the Christmas lights! It might be fun to leave some of them up all year. A strand or two of lights would not offend anyone, and, would be great to light up for special occasions. The entire Christmas scene, probably not.
GUEST’S ANSWER:Kirsten Cash, speechlanguage pathologist: Many people choose to leave their Christmas decorations up until the Feast of the Magi on Jan. 6. Others opt for New Year’s, and others Dec. 26!
I think it is lovely that the lights bring you comfort. After all, they are meant to symbolize the Light of the World: Christ, the ultimate Solace. Perhaps you could pare down what you have for the holidays instead of completely removing them to appear to be a deliberate decorating effort. A lot of people use small white lights for decoration year-round in their homes, so a tasteful reduction from your holiday use could be very attractive.
You may also want to check with your neighborhood association to see if there are any bylaws in the covenants regarding such matters. As for your worry about offending others, that’s their problem, not yours! If it is allowed in your neighborhood, and you feel your lights provide a subtle enhancement to your property — and your mood! — by all means, enjoy!