Wednesday, December 10, 2008

A word about Christmas Lights.

Let's discuss Christmas decorations and Christmas lights in particular, shall we?
I grew up and still live in a town which heavily favors white outdoor lights for the holidays. Sure, you get occasional color or even, for the daring, blue lights festooned (what a great word) on the front bushes. But most people tend to favor the traditional, clean look of twinkling white. My mom worked with a guy who asked her after driving around our town many years ago if there was an ordinance that you HAD to use white lights. There isn't.
So I have noticed that more people are getting more bold in the last few years... some use blinking, some use the blowup Santa or snowman, which are kind of fun for the young at heart but look absolutely pathetic when they are off, deflated and strewn on a front lawn, and the recently popular icicle lights. And some use a mix of all three, which I think is a little overkill.
What has upset me this year is the new LCD lights.
I am ALL for saving energy and being green (you may not know this, but I am an ARDENT water conservationist from being raised in house with a shallow well) and I would love if my electric bill didn't go up 50% in the month of December, but the new LCD lights are... awful. Too bright. Too cold. Too harsh. Too blue-ish.
Where is the soft cast of light? Where is the light that if you squint your eyes looks like candles?
And forget it if you have incandescent string lights and something else, like a wreath, with the LCD... they clash like a loud plaid and bold stripes. Awful. Jarring.
So I am going to hold onto my incandescents as long as I can. I am waiting for a yellower LCD, one that's not as garish, one that makes me feel warm and sleepy and nostalgic and Christmas-y after-all-the-work-is-done-ish.

Coming soon: A word about Christmas Music.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am in COMPLETE agreement with you! MIXING LCD and regular lights-NEVER in THIS HOME! Sacrelege (SP?)! Love, Mommy