Seeing lights in the night sky can give us a great feeling of awe! Whether it is the natural stars, the lights we hang to decorate our summer patios, or our Holiday décor. There is something special about lights!
In the past, I have heard people say that they keep their lights up for extended periods of time to help with seasonal depression. We can all relate a little bit to that this year with the coronavirus gathering restrictions in the months surrounding the holidays. When I saw people putting holiday lights up early, I understood. I wondered if people would get tired of them earlier too. I wondered if the lights would bring the joy and awe they were hoping for. The answer is yes…they did! To my surprise, the light season seems to even be extending for many!
Some cities are leaving up municipal light decorations through January. Some people are linking their extended lighting to a cause – in support of our healthcare workers! Others are working toward a trend of leaving the lights up until Valentine’s Day!
The Valentine’s Day idea is new to me. They are shifting their Christmas tree decorations and lights to include red, pink, and white hearts and adding other typical Valentine’s Day decorations. Keeping the Christmas tree for a Valentine’s Day celebration is something I am not sure I can get on board with…But…if the lights bring you “that” feeling – you deserve it…leave them up! My vote is YES! Leave the lights on for me!
This year the lights were a little extra special for me because in lieu of traveling for our traditional holiday family gathering we started a holiday challenge! One of the components of the challenge was to find and photograph a list of traditional holiday light arrangements. I am telling you, it seems like everywhere you look there is a Christmas Story leg lamp…until you are searching for one! (ughhh)
I was a little behind in the challenge so I went to Shady Brook Farms Light Extravaganza and I caught up quickly. I especially enjoyed the awe of the twinkling candy cane lane and I greatly admired the work that went into creating the whole experience. This and many other such light shows around the country have extended their season until the end of January. If you missed them…they left the lights on for you! Go check them out! It is also never too late for a challenge!
