Does a pandemic create opportunities to decorate so others can enjoy?

[Chuck 1,000,058]

COVID-19.  Social Distance.  Wear a Mask.  Think twice about extended family gatherings.  

... all phrases I never even thought about until 2020.  But I now see opportunity.

The vehicle has become the only safe bubble where families can get away from home.  

Decorate the outside of your house.  It doesn't take much to put a smile on a face!  You'll be making lifelong memories.

 

 

[joshua2415 11]

Well said Chuck!  That's part of the reason my wife and I started in September this year.  We started making window frames for lights, and checking out all the previous years decorations for functionality.  We started putting lights on the house around the 1st of October and just got finished.  Tonight, everything will be turned on for the first full night.  We've had people go by the house and complement the decorations and say they can't wait to see it lit up.  Some have said it inspired them to start early too.  Some people have had rough time this year with the pandemic and such, so a little early Christmas can go a long way to lift someone's spirit.  I hope that it inspires my neighbors to join in and light up the whole street.

[Stephen Blue 25]

It's a constant question I've been getting for weeks - "Please tell me you're doing the lights this year! Everything else is cancelled!" Also fortunate to have a pretty large field I build my display in, so people can still walk around it, outside, with plenty of room to not get crowded. 

[Scott Rob 104]

I agree totally I was asked by many folks waking by when I was taking down Halloween if I was doing Christmas. My goal this year is to get it all out by thanksgiving. I live HOA land and I can’t put out stuff in my front yard until the week of thanksgiving. But my front yard is small so it should not be a problem. I am going to try this year to have motion detector to trigger Charlie Brown Christmas story. On my LOR set up. I tried a few years ago with button for people to push to start show but it rained a lot and I had voltage drop issues so trigger did not work most of time. My other goal is to help the folks on my block to get everyone to put up Christmas lights this year!

[MrMatt 26]

23 hours ago, Scott Rob said:

.... My other goal is to help the folks on my block to get everyone to put up Christmas lights this year!

I was wanting to do the same thing. Any good ideas on how to motivate people to decorate? I think that my display has caused others to give up. But I want see more lights! 

[HowardFamilyChristmasDisplay 17]

7 hours ago, MrMatt said:

I was wanting to do the same thing. Any good ideas on how to motivate people to decorate? I think that my display has caused others to give up. But I want see more lights! 

Yeah I have been told that my display intimidates my neighbors!!! But they love mine.

[Scott Rob 104]

18 hours ago, MrMatt said:

I was wanting to do the same thing. Any good ideas on how to motivate people to decorate? I think that my display has caused others to give up. But I want see more lights! 

This works for me but this might not work for everyone:) I talk to them about putting up Christmas lights around now till thanksgiving since I see most walking. I offer to help them if they need it. Also everyone on my block has been there for at least 4 years. So I trust them I let some borrow my 28’ ladder and large 10’foldout ladder. After I get done putting out my Christmas display. I see if anyone needs help with there’s and since I trust my folks on my block I let them borrow the extra items that I did not use this year. ( I put my name on everything I borrow out and blow mold all have security cable and I help put them in there yard and use one of my locks to lock them to tree or porch. Since I moved from large front yard that @1800ft long And 300ft deep front yard ( 6-LOR and 60,000 + lights)to 120ft long and 45ft deep (1or 2-LOR and 10,000 lights)I have a lot of extra of everything:) Good example my next door neighborhood was working long hours and I asked if they need help after talking to them i felt they might not put out any so I asked if I could put some lights in there yard since I knew they were never home before dark. So they were ok with it and I toke my lunch break The next day and went next door with 1000 muiltcolor led lights and cords and put lights in there bushes and then I brought over Union Santa and snowman and set up near bushes. They were so happy it was great! They then put out there lights on porch very late one night. I know some of you would not do some of the things I feel fine doing and that ok I think just trying something is better than nothing:) Good Luck!!!

Edited November 5, 2020 by Scott Rob

[Chuck 1,000,058]

When I was a teenager our neighborhood sponsored a Christmas lighting contest.  As I remember I spelled NOEL in giant block letters on the roof and animated them a bit... but there was plenty of competition.  I walked away with a $10 check and was soooooo proud.  Now that I think about it, that was 50 years ago...

Maybe a way to stimulate more outdoor decorating is to get with your neighborhood homeowners association and convince them a lighting contest is needed for 2020.

I think I'll start a new topic on this idea.  Thanks!